Music Review: Heaven & Earth by Aaron Shust

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: 10 strong tracks turning Psalms into modern songs

Cons: “Forsaken” takes a few listens to appreciate

The Bottom Line:

Songs taken from Psalms

New worship, meditation

Filled with all new songs

A New Collection of Timeless Psalms

When Aaron Shust announced that his next project was going to be a collection of Psalms, I was excited.  I enjoy it when people write songs based on the Psalms, and I love his music, so I figured the two would be a great match.  Heaven & Earth: The Psalms Project is exactly what I was hoping for.

The lyrics are taken directly from the Psalms themselves as much as possible.  Yes, wording has been changed here and there to better reflect today’s English and song writing techniques, but if you are familiar with the Scriptures chosen here, you’ll feel like you listening to someone sing the Psalms.

These songs are all new as well.  While we’ve seen some of these Psalms turned into songs many times before, we haven’t heard them done this way.

And yes, the track list does hit many of the familiar, most well-known, and loved Psalms.  We got “Majestic” taken from Psalm 8, “My Shepherd” from Psalm 23, and “Be Gracious” from Psalm 51 for example.  But, as I just said, these are fresh new songs.  “My Shepherd” is quickly becoming my favorite version of this Psalm, in fact.

There are some other, less obvious choices on here, like “Even in My Old Age” from Psalm 71.  Probably the oddest choice, in my opinion, is “Forsaken” taken from Psalm 22.  This is the Psalm that Jesus quotes when on the cross.  I don’t think it’s one I’ve seen turned into a song before.  It feels a little out of place with the rest of the disc, but it is growing on me the more I hear it.

There is plenty of variety when it comes to these songs, although, overall, they tend to be a bit more meditative rather than high energy songs.  Having said that, “My Shepherd” is on the upbeat side of things, and it’s one reason I love it since it is something different for the Psalm.  Overall, these songs are beautiful to listen to with a simplicity that allows you to focus on the Scripture being sung.

Many of the tracks have an Israeli music flavor.  It’s most obvious on “My Help,” which is taken from Psalm 121, but you can hear it in several of the other tracks.  Meanwhile, “Hallelujah,” the final track taken from the final Psalm, is sung in both English and Hebrew.

There really isn’t a bad track in this disc.  I am going to be enjoying Heaven & Earth for a long time to come.  And I’m already hoping for a second volume with more Psalms.

CD Length: 39:00

Tracks:

1. Majestic (Psalm 8)

2. Forsaken (Psalm 22)

3. My Shepherd (Psalm 23) (Featuring Joshua Aaron)

4. Be Gracious (Psalm 51)

5. Even in My Old Age (Psalm 71)

6. Shadow of Shaddai (Psalm 91)

7. Steadfast Love (Psalm 103)

8. My Help (Psalm 121) (Featuring Yaron Cherniak)

9. Hold Me Fast (Psalm 139)

10. Hallelujah (Psalm 150)