Aaron Shust:Take Over
| Aaron Shust released “Take Over” in early August and has simultaneously made his successful return to radio airplay with the album’s first single, “To God Alone”. The CD holds a strong mix of praise and worship, pop, and rock music that subtly carries the classic vocal chops that won Shust the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award for New Artist of the Year in 2006..
“To God Alone”, the record’s opening track, will surely join Shust’s 2005 release, “My Savior, My God” has a worship music staple. In second position is the modern-rock number “Come and Save Us”. The tune’s catchy opening guitar riff immediately induces a tendency to head-bop along with the music. A feeling that holds tight throughout the song. The title track is anchored with fun, upbeat pop rhythms. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing the repetitive, but not monotonous, lyrics by the end of the song. Stuck smack in the middle is “Rest in the Arms”. With its smooth, lullaby-like quality, the tune slows the musical pace temporarily, while the lyrics continue the album’s theme of reminding us to rely solely on God. The guitar-driven “Ever After” has a sprite, whimsical melody holding bold lyrics pointing to the hope only found in Jesus Christ: “There’s no such thing as Peter Pan, no such place as Never Never Land. Wish we all could have those tiny magic wings, but we live in a world of wars… we won’t find our ever after here.” Another personal favorite is “Still You Love Me”. Lyrically inspired by Psalms 139, the song confirms the belief that God loves us unconditionally, even though He knows our deepest, darkest secrets. Shust penned the album with some of Christian music’s most prolific songwriters, including Matthew West, Matt Bronleewe, Brandon Heath, and Ian Eskelin. But, the album succeeds on the strength of Shust’s strong musical delivery. “Take Over” is primarily a praise and worship album and churches will undoubtedly find themselves typing the words into Power Point before long. But don’t dismiss “Take Over” as solely a soundtrack for corporate worship services. It’s also one of those great timeless collections of just really great music.
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