Aaron Shust was a full-time staff member and worship leader at Perimeter Church, a progressive congregation in Atlanta when Brash Music found him and decided to try something brand new. That tells you that either Shust's music was something special, or that God had a special plan in mind . . . or both. The first 17 seconds of "Anything Worth Saying" make you suspect the latter. "Give Me Words" is just enough to capture your interest, a bright teaser that announces Shust's dependency on God. Your heart sinks at its premature end but the Jeff Deyo-like pop-rocker "Glory," with its edgy rhythm guitar, does lift your spirit back up. Steady, catchy and upbeat, Shust reminds us that this is really what it's all about: the worthiness of God. Spoken like an anointed worship leader, and the theme continues with melodic rocker "Matchless," listing the names of Christ.
Brash Music really did get exactly what they asked for: a sincere, sturdy rep of the burgeoning Christian music movement. Aaron Shust has a heart for the congregation and he writes his songs for them. But Sunday morning songs, to be congregationally useful, are usually relatively simple, with memorable hooks and easy choruses, containing straight-forward Biblical truths that can be quickly embraced. The possible downside of that for Brash Music is that those same qualities don't always translate well to an album. It is the exceptional worship leader, a Tim Hughes or Matt Redman, who is able to straddle these two worlds of church and entertainment successfully. Aaron Shust comes closer than most, certainly aided by the creative Dan Hannon, whose grunge guitar and Beatles-like loop programming touches ("Change the World" and "More Wonderful") boost the project considerably. They are a formidable team, their joint efforts shining through the stellar track, "More Wonderful," opening with an oddly appealing whomping loop that perfectly sets up Shust's soft sincere vocals. Sincere is Shust's strong suit, and the vertically-oriented heart will find "Anything Worth Saying" deeply satisfying. The whole two-worlds thing is a challenging vortex, and the Shust/Hannon/Brash team make a worthy first effort; I think the second will be one to look for.
