With career sales exceeding 450,000 units, the acoustic guitar-wielding, Texas-based duo Shane & Shane returns with its eighth album, Everything Is Different, releasing Nov. 3, 2009. Produced by Pete Kipley (MercyMe, Kutless, Phil Wickham) the album embraces a more corporate worship style, inspired by Shane Barnard and Shane Everett's role as worship leaders at their home church in Dallas. Influenced by the pair’s ongoing involvement in teaching, training and discipling students in the area of worship ministry, Everything Is Different offers moments that range from vertical praise to quiet reflection. Songs include “You Have Resurrected My Heart,” “Rain Down,” “Everything is Different,” “Great Reward,” “For The Good,” “Turn Down the Music,” “You Say I’m Rich,” “The Lord’s Prayer,” “Enlarge My Heart,” “Psalm 73 (You Are My Portion),” “This Is Who I Am,” and “Worthy of Affection.” The record’s title track and debut single will be serviced to Christian Adult Contemporary radio this October
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Shane & Shane [Everything Is Different]| Posted October 27, 2009 [MAIN REVIEW]
With career sales exceeding 450,000 units, the acoustic guitar-wielding, Texas-based duo Shane & Shane returns with its eighth album, Everything Is Different. The album embraces a more corporate worship style, inspired by Shane Barnard and Shane Everett's role as worship leaders at their home church in Dallas. Influenced by the pair’s ongoing involvement in teaching and training students in the area of worship ministry, Everything Is Different offers moments that range from vertical praise to quiet reflection.
Among the most devotionally focused singer/songwriters of this generation, for Shane Barnard and Shane Everett, it all comes back to the creative source. “We always have a tendency to bring the scriptures into our songs,” Barnard explains. “It happens naturally for us. It’s not like we have a game plan, but we’ve always spent a lot of time in the Word of God. The Word of God is just so good - if you don’t mess with it - it’s hard to mess it up. I think this album, probably more than any other album we’ve done, is the Word of God set to music.”
My favorite overall song by Shane & Shane is now the title track “Everything is Different”, which is a song about all of these things that are completely changed and how different they are in Christ. Shane & Shane drew heavily on scriptures from Isaiah to make its point in this upbeat, corporate worship song, comparing the wages of the world with the free gifts of God - from ashes to beauty, from heaviness to praise, from no way to a clear path, from the impossible to all things are possible.
Primary songsmith, Shane Barnard drew on Hebrews 1 and Psalm 40 for inspiration in the gorgeous corporate worship hymn, “Worthy of Affection.” The album’s sweet yet pulsating musical version of “The Lord’s Prayer” is taken word for word from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Shane Everett lends his rare songwriting talent on “Rain Down,” a song that reflects Psalm 27. The album’s first radio single, a creative re-imaging of the beloved hymn, “My Hope Is Built,” is based on Jesus’ parable of the wise man who built his house on solid rock, found in Matthew, chapter seven.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Musically this album is very diverse and the songs are acoustic oriented with very biblical lyrics. Harmonizing together on every song, Shane & Shane’s personal and vulnerable vocals have never sounded better. Each successive album has improved on the last for Shane & Shane from Clean to Pages to Everything Is Different, which is now their best overall album in my opinion. For me, the standout songs are “Everything Is Different”, “Worthy of Affection”, “I’m Alive”, “Rain Down” and “My Hope Is Built”. If you’ve liked past hit songs “Be Near”, “Yearn” and “We Love You Jesus” by Shane & Shane, then you need to pick up Everything Is Different.
Rating: 9.0 out of 10 (90%, A-)
Review written by: Kevin Davis | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
MORE TO MEMORIZE FROM SCRIPTURAL DUO| Posted November 09, 2009
When Mac Powell made a wish list of songwriters to contribute to this year's Glory Revealed II scripture song project, it's no surprise Shane Barnard and Shane Everett were at the very top. Having chalked up a successful career with a catalog of discs comprised of songs largely based on Bible text, Shane & Shane remains committed to uplifting believers with musical memory verses on their seventh studio project, Everything Is Different.
Even though Pete Kipley (Kutless) and Jason Hoard (Fee) contribute production, the record maintains mostly acoustic motifs from top to bottom (except for a few bonus radio edits), letting the easy-to-remember melodies and the duo's trademark harmonies lead the way.
Directed by the fellas' position as song leaders at their home church in Texas, the tracks maintain a consistent worship feel. Interpolating verse quotes and their own translation of some of scripture's most beloved lines, the Shanes' direct approach in naming the Lord as the object of their musical affection is refreshing, especially in a booming worship music culture, where songs sung out of context could be used for an entirely different purpose than praise.
The only downside to their lyrical inclinations is that many seem overused, sounding cliché, not inspiring. But even amidst the repetition, when Shane & Shane sing, "All Yours is the kingdom/the power, the glory/Forever," in "The Lord's Prayer," I'm not convinced it could be said any differently. Or any better.
Mostly recorded "live" in the studio, with few post-production touch-ups, Everything Is Different provides yet another glimpse into the heart of Shane & Shane. —Andrew Greer
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
Better and better| Posted October 21, 2009
Shane and Shane's music is getting better and better! Take a day and start with their first album and work your way to Everything is Different. I think you'll agree. I was talking to a friend the other day about the new album. I didn't feel they could top Pages. All of the songs on Pages, the layout of the CD, the song order, the journal entries that they put with the CD/DVD combo was incredible! Their songs now are more accessible to those of us that like to cover their songs. I still don't understand why none of their songs are hitting main stream radio. I often listen to KLove and the most recent song I've heard of theirs is from one of their earlier CDs. There are plenty of "radio accessible" songs; We Love You Jesus, Burn Us Up, When I Think About the Lord, and so far on the new album Everything is Different and I'm Alive. Hopefully we'll start hearing more of Shane and Shane on the radio. I really appreciate their hearts for worship and the fact that they share the overflow of their worship on their CDs. If you have ever attended a Shane and Shane show you know that you'd better be ready to have church. If you haven't been to a Shane and Shane show, look up their tour dates and plan on attending a show close to you. During the shows they are very open and laid back on stage. They don't try to put on a show; very authentic.
Its New, It's Different ... I like it :)| Posted March 22, 2010
I would have to say that this is the first Shane & Shane Album that could be used for more than a special music at church. I really like that its a worship album but without the usual standards (covers of others) on most other worship albums. They give us a new songs to sing. Its not like they sacrificed creativity to give the church something to sing ... its them but easy for the average person to use in their music sets.
I definitely hear the influence of Bethany's music in You Have Resurrected My Heart.
I like how they bring back the scripture songs in Psalm 73 (You are my portion), but with their updated sound. I especially love Shane E.'s soulful vocals the second time around. At first you are like, oh its the same words but when Shane E comes in ... that's some powerful stuff.
I can't quiet narrow it down to any favorites. Its all still quite new for me.
Good album| Posted December 28, 2009
They seem to cling a lot to scripture-lifted phrases. Nothing wrong with that; on the contrary, it's a wondrful starting place for a pre-believing new listener ("where does God make THAT promise?/say that?"). You'll enjoy it.
another Great Album!| Posted October 26, 2009
They just keep on cranking them out...
Good songs with thought-provoking lyrics...
I heard many verses and thoughts from the Bible
and I was reminded of God's great promises
just in the listening, like a bible study
and a morning devotional/worship all rolled into one
(just sing along to get your praise on)...
Tasty guitar licks (with other instrumentation)...
And those great soaring vocals, with lovely and talented harmonies...
Another album (CD) that you need to add to your collection...
Buy it NOW!
At it again...| Posted October 26, 2009
Solid music, solid vocals.
Everything these guys put out tends to leave you tapping your foot and wishing you had the vocal prowess to sing along with as much conviction and passion.
I have yet to be let down by Shane & Shane. Great when they are live and great when you're listening to the album.
Everything is Different by Shane & Shane| Posted October 26, 2009
First the lyrics were very clear. The album is pleasant to listen to but it is different. The blend of old traditional church hymns with new more modern church hymns is surprising and pleasant.
S2 in Peak Form| Posted October 26, 2009
Thanks so much for making this album preview available. I have nejoyed getting to hear the album early, and I will definitely be buying it as soon as it is available.
I have been a Shane & Shane fan for years (since Psalms), and I am loving this new album. This is a really scripturally-focused album (a bit moreso than Clean and Pages), and I love that. That is one of my favorite things about the Shanes' music - its focus on the Word.
I also really like the fact that this album is a bit more "even" in its sound. I think this makes it more like their earlier albums (Psalms and Carry Away and Upstairs), where the songs had a more consistent tempo and style than Clean and Pages. It makes it perfect for listening while I am at work.
Thanks Shane & Shane for another great album that I will be enjoying for years. :-)