Shane & Shane

By Melissa Riddle-Chalos, senior content strategist, GospelMusicChannel.com

Like the grand church buildings that sprawl across half of Nashville, worship records take up a lot of real estate in virtual and brick-and-mortar stores. But most of them sound too much alike and barely make a ‘blip’ the modern worship landscape.

But such has never been the case with Shane Barnard and Shane Everette, the Texas-based duo Shane & Shane. With eight albums to their credit since 2001, they have consistently delivered lyrics that reflect active lives of worship, as well as reflect an innate, ministerial sense of what it takes to move people, collectively, toward God.

Everything Is Different ups the ante, even on the impressive track record Shane & Shane has already built. Produced by Peter Kipley (MercyMe, Kutless, Phil Wickham) and Jason Hoard (Fee), with audio engineering legend Steve Churchyard (The Eagles, INXS, Kelly Clarkson), Everything Is Different brings into new focus words like ‘accessible’ and ‘singable,’ reuniting such estranged concepts as ‘individual’ and ‘corporate.’

From the modern interpretations – the first single, “My Hope Is Built,” a fresh spin on the 1834 hymn “(On Christ) The Solid Rock” and a modern musical twist on “The Lord’s Prayer” – to playful originals like the country-tinged “You Say ‘I’m Rich,’” “I’m Alive,” and “Great Reward,” there’s not a ‘skip’ in the whole fleet.

And even better, inspired by the twosome’s passion for discipleship and worship ministry, this CD ambitiously gives Scripture the lyrical spotlight. Gotta love that. Of special note is the bluesy-B-3’d ‘Psalm 73 served up straight up’ “My Portion,” a much-needed mantra for our recession weary world. Romans 8:28 inspired “For the Good” and “This Is Who I Am” (2 Corinthians 5:17) are other powerful examples of scripture given the Shane x2 spin. In fact, like the stripped bare beauty of the production itself, Everything Is Different is a theology-rich arsenal of ‘dare you to sing it, mean it and live it’ songs.

In other words, the Shanes deliver the goods (again) here, a quality, life soundtrack for people in pursuit of God, come Saturday night or Sunday morning.