Review

Once upon a time, a commercial chicken restaurant made some very good chicken. Everybody loved it. It had a special recipe, with just the right blend of herbs and spices. Then they decided to tweak the recipe and, voila, they had the chicken done another way. They would ask the customer "Regular, or extra crispy"?

With the release of "Every Move I Make" by David Ruis, you may have to answer a similar question. Do you want David's original versions, which you may know by heart because you've sung them so many times, or do you want a different version? The good news is that both ways are great worship songs they're just two different recipes.

I admit that on my first listen I was leaning towards "original" David. The album leads off with the title track, and is followed by You're Worthy of My Praise, We Will Dance and Let Your Glory Fall. There were a couple of moments where I said to myself, hey, it doesn't go this way I wrestled with the concept of changing something just for the sake of change. Was it valid? Was there value? Here's my take: I don't think these songs have been redone "just for the sake of change". I think the songs represent, not only the collaboration between writer, artist, musician and producer, creating something that now, in 2004, is as original as at any other time; but it reveals that the essence of worship music is more in the worship than the music.

Ruis joins forces, again, with Jason Halbert, producer extraordinaire and keyboard loop master. They've been working together on projects for the past few years and Jason, along with former Sonic Flood band mate, guitarist Dwayne Laring, give each song a small band sparseness that brings out David's voice and timeless lyrics.

I think you need to get past the first four tracks, which are, arguably, Ruis' most well known songs. These are the songs that you've sung "original recipe" style for so long that you may not fully appreciate the differences on the first go 'round. "His Love" is the next track and it is one of my favorites, with its rocking I-IV-I-V progression, starting softly with keyboard patches and syncopated drums, bringing in vocals for the first verse, adding an ethereal electric guitar patch, more drums, second verse, guitar coming in stronger, pulling back on the third verse of this AAA song, weaving Scripture in, crescendo and fade. It's a marvelously constructed song and a primer in both production and tasteful electric guitar work.

Next up is one of the two new songs that are on the album, "Rest in His Promise". As I read the lyrics on the album jacket, I am struck by David's sense of poetry. "When the sunlight has faded and the darkness my friend. When the sorrows are rolling and the suffering just won't end, I will lift up my eyes and give glory to Your name, and I'll rest in Your promise over me".

"Mercy Is Falling" has an incredible Middle Eastern sound. This song has never gotten the popularity that some of his other songs have, but it is fantastic. If you were looking for a song to usher in a spirit of dance to your congregation, this would be well worth a look. Combining Scripture with tags of "My heart and my flesh cry out" countering the original lyrics, and a jarring guitar riff, this song will play Sunday morning at a risk-taking church, but will fare very well in the club scene downtown. They won't know what hit 'em!

"Faithful" isn't new, but I hadn't heard it before, so I didn't know how it "was supposed to sound". But I like this version. It's all drums and keyboard patch to start. And, oh, what a great lyric! "The narrow pathway through the needle's eye, I'm stepping forward to the place I die. For I know that You are faithful"

I haven't said enough about David's vocal phrasing. Here's a guy who's basically done it all in Christian ministry. He's written and recorded songs that are sung worldwide. He's planted churches. He's been in the streets with addicts. He's walked in the shoes of First Nations natives. So, when he sings now, there is no sense of "trying to make it in the business". He comes right at you with what he's got. It's passionate, it's risky, and it's sold out.

Maybe that's why I really have ended up enjoying this album so much. It doesn't smack of an industry album. Maybe the phrase "industry album" would have never been uttered 10 years ago, but it's realistic today. And it's not a shame that worship music has exploded in popularity like it has. Glory to God! But with it comes some aspects that are no different than any other musical genre. And David Ruis is the consummate veteran who has earned the right to bring his heart to the studio and lay it bare. He is uncompromising. Come taste of this album and be renewed.

Review by John Ausmus