Review

If you're familiar with the music of David Ruis, you know that he very rarely, if ever, disappoints those who listen to or attend his worship events. "Shake Off The Dust" is no exception.

What is truly surprising about this second live worship release from Howling Prairie Music is that the highlight of the recording is NOT David Ruis, or even Andrew Smith, but Kim Johnson and the other "unknowns" on this collection of songs. In fact, the first five songs alone are penned by new names and are some of the best featured here. David Ruis has opted to take more of a backseat approach to this recording and to let others shine. The results are similar to Brian Doerksen's efforts on "Hungry" and "Come Now Is The Time". It's obvious that David is actively raising up new worship leaders in the Winnipeg area that will carry worship into the next generation.

The real highlights here are those songs written by Kim Johnson, a worship leader who's voice is not too far from the raspy, passionate vocal of Rita Springer, and her words are powerful in each of them.

"Fall At Your Feet" kicks off the live set with the words
"This is what I was created for,
to lay my face upon the floor.
It's you that I am longing for,
Oh Lord...I fall at your feet,
you're all I need.."

Following this beautiful declaration is "You Search Me" which declares,
"If I go up to the heavens,
if I rest in the depths,
if I rise upon the dawn,
if I live across the sea, You are there..".

By the time "Now and Forever More" begins, you will probably already have your hands raised, (be careful if you're listening in the car). This song begins with an amazing love poem penned and read with earnest devotion by David's daughter Tamara, moving directly into David's vocal "Long before the world began, my name was carved upon your hand.."

The songs here are full of energy, brokeness, and unrestrained joy, rising and cresting at times like a great wave of love and devotion to Christ. I found myself singing the melodies and words to myself as I went through the day after only the first listen.

Any of the songs here would fit into a typical contemporary "vineyard-style" worship service, (although "Megwich Kchi-Manitou" is probably too specifically geared towards an Ojibway Indian audience to be palatable to the average worshiper, and the swing-band sounds of "Awake", complete with smoking horn section, is most likely a bit too left of center to appeal to anyone's Sunday morning crowd. Still, the majority of the album is packed full of some of the freshest worship songs you'll hear, frequently eclipsing even the major releases from the "Big Three Labels" in recent months.

Review by Keith Giles