Smart Kid

"You are not long for this world / So do not long for this world / Have a good look around / Take joy where it's found / But you are not long for this world."—from "Not Long for This World"

As I write these words, The Clumsy Lovers are in the middle of a long road trip. But then, for this band, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, life is essentially one long road trip.

Known for their frenzied, frenetic, and ridiculously fun live shows—more than 1,500 of them in the last decade—it's not unusual for the Clumsys to do 25 shows in a month. One of the best lives bands I've ever seen, this quintet used to think that making an album simply meant playing a concert in a studio and getting it on tape. "We used to bang out our albums in a week," says Chris Jonat, the band's founder, bass player, and chief songwriter. "People love the gigs, so we just put down the best tunes from the current live shows the same way we did 'em live."

The result was a handful of very-good-but-not-great independent albums that sometimes sounded, well, like they were done in a week. But since signing with Nettwerk a few years ago, the band apparently got the word from someone at the label: "You can do much better in the studio."

The Clumsy Lovers got the message, and the result has been a pair of excellent albums—2003's After the Flood and now the recently released Smart Kid, a collection of 15 tracks that are, sonically, all over the map—fitting for a band that spends its life on the road. Generally known for their self-described "raging bluegrass Celtic rock," the Clumsys branch out even further here with splashes of reggae, rap, country, Cajun, doo-wop, and funk. You'd think that might make for an impossible mix, but the musicianship and production (by John Webster) is so stellar, it actually works quite well.

Several band members, including Jonat, the principal lyricist, would identify themselves either as Christians or at least spiritual seekers, and that faith comes through on this album—sometimes subtly, sometimes loud and clear.

"Save for You" is a catchy love song—but to whom? "Save for you, I'm lost and lonely / Save for you, I'm a crumbling shack / Save for you, I'm empty and phony / Save for you, I'm flat on my back." Ditto for "Don't Worry," whose words could be for a significant other—or a Savior: "You came along, singing the sweetest song / You're in my heart, I'm only asking for a brand new start."

There are these seemingly divine lines from "London Bridge," a staple of their live shows: "I was thinking of the story of the house built on the sand … / Then I saw your front door and everything was clear / I'd been looking at it sideways and getting nowhere near … / But I've only one idea now and that's a source of cheer." And the chorus rings like a song of worship: "You are the thought that stretches from sleep to wake / You leave me falling down like London Bridge in an earthquake."

"Better Days" is an exhortation to persevere through hard times: "This has the look right now of something awful dire / But don't give way, be strong you say / It's just the price you pay for better days."

"Rockefeller" reminds us of something far more valuable than earthly riches: "You don't gotta own land to be a satisfied man / You don't need a swimming pool or a wine cellar / You just sing from your heart, you'll be richer by far / Than Carnegie or Rockefeller." And this: "Songs from the gospel serve to brighten my heart / And leave me praying for a brand new start."

The album concludes with a beautiful, hymn-like (there's even a choir) nod to heaven, "Not Long for This World," encouraging an eternal perspective: "So your body aches, and your mind is tired … / Your soul is weak, and your spirit down / Can't see a change coming round / Well I give my word, I do insist / There's a place far better than this." And the chorus: "You are not long for this world / So do not long for this world / Have a good look around, take joy where it's found / But you are not long for this world."

Amen to that.

Note The album includes one profanity (on "Okay Alright"), but there's nothing offensive on the rest of the CD.

Unless specified clearly, we are not implying whether this artist is or is not a Christian. The views expressed are simply the author's. For a more complete description of our Glimpses of God articles, click here