album review   

“Carry Away” – by Shane Barnard & Shane Everett

CD Review (Tim Wang)

It’s not easy to find a Christian album that one can appreciate on multiple levels. The knock on Christian music in general is that it’s not the best musical albums and perhaps that a lot of things sound too similar and not “fresh” enough. I believe this to be true on some levels and for the most part I prefer worship CDs over “Christian pop” music. But when I was introduced to the sounds of Shane and Shane, I heard things in this album that I have rarely experienced on a Christian album; a sound that reflects a heart for God in its lyrics and also musical excellence which most of the time plays second or third fiddle in Christian albums. Rather than compromising one element over another, Shane & Shane was able to deliver in both fronts as talented musicians who are deeply and passionately in love with Jesus.

Overall, the lyrical theme of the album is desperation. It’s piercingly clear that the lyrics are deeply personal in its content. But every song has a biblical reference or two attached to it and I believe this legitimizes what they’re singing about a lot more because all of their lyrical content was composed under the light of scripture. This use of scriptural reference shows that they are not just some musicians who sing about God, but they are rooted in the word and it shows that they have an intimate relationship with God and know God personally in their lives.

Shane Barnard & Shane Everett (Shane & Shane) is a band driven by 2 acoustic guitars.  They have a unique sense of rhythm that really drives the music and their guitar playing acts like a drum in that it's almost percussive, with fast strumming that emulates fast drum fills in between phrases.  They employ a double-strumming technique that is incredibly fast and not usually heard in Christian or secular music.  While their virtuosic guitar playing certainly draws a lot of attention, overall their music shows a passionate heart for God that equals or surpasses their instrumental prowess.

Their music is worship-based, but it is not as musically simple or in a vocal range that's easy to sing along to.  However, if you are seeking a band that has inspirational lyrics and superb musicality, Shane & Shane might be a band for you.  In their hit single “Be Near” (3rd track), they sing about their desire to be connected with God more intimately than just through sermons and books, so that as He speaks to them He becomes more real through personal experience. Another song that sticks out is their remake of an old praise song called “When I think about the Lord,” written by James Huey for CFN (Christ for the Nations) Music. It is so fresh and original that I didn’t realize at first that it was a remake.

The band has put out an album that accomplishes what they probably had intended to do, which was to make an easy-to-listen-to, ‘poppy’ Christian album with elements of worship. There are many Christian pop albums that have been produced in a way that makes you wonder whether the songwriters and performers really had the heart of God in mind. This album is definitely not just another attempt to push worn-out Christian clichés set to the most popular secular genre at the time. Shane & Shane write all of their own songs and music, and it’s clear that they approached the making of this album in the same way that they hold one of their concerts, where they share the gospel and their own testimonies so that it becomes much more than just about their music (which is good enough to stand on its own). Their desperation and hunger for God are clearly evidenced by their well-crafted lyrics and in the conviction of their voices. If you appreciate quality, enjoyable Christian music of high musicality, then I’m confident that you’ll enjoy this release.