Written and recorded in about a week,
Jar of Flies solidified
Alice in Chains' somewhat bizarre pattern of alternating full-length
hard rock albums with mostly acoustic,
ballad-oriented EPs. That quirk aside,
Jar of Flies is a low-key stunner, achingly gorgeous and harrowingly sorrowful all at once. In a way, it's a logical sequel to
Dirt -- despite the veneer of calm, the songs' voices still blame only themselves. But where
Dirt found catharsis in its unrelenting darkness and depravity,
Jar of Flies is about living with the consequences, full of deeply felt reflections on loneliness, self-imposed isolation, and lost human connections. The mood is still hopelessly bleak, but the poignant, introspective tone produces a sense of acceptance that's actually soothing, in a funereal sort of way.
Jerry Cantrell's arrangements keep growing more detailed and layered; while there are a few noisy moments, most of
Jar of Flies is bathed in a clean, shimmering ambience whose source is difficult to pin down, but is well served by
Cantrell's varied guitar tones and even occasional string arrangements. And coming on the heels of
Dirt, the restraint and subtlety of
Jar of Flies are nothing short of revelatory -- though it was written and recorded in about a week, it feels much more crafted and textured than
Sap. Perhaps
Jar of Flies would have gotten more credit if it had been a full-length album; as it stands, the EP is a leap forward and a major work in the
Alice in Chains catalog. ~ Steve Huey
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