Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Age doesn't have to come before beauty!! In the case of evangelist Geoff Shattock and poet Godfrey Rust (combined age 80!) you can have lyrical maturity AND beautiful music. John Pantry's production skills shine through as layers of polished acoustic soul flow through the speakers providing a foundation for the Shattock And Rust harmonies. There's some nice, gently touching flute and sassy sax from Dave Fitzgerald to add extra flavouring. Musically mellow without falling into the sin of blandness, the album is most impressive for its lyrical content. If you're tired of the cliches that trip off the tongues of so many Christian songwriters, you have to hear this! The duo excel at story songs that draw you in and then...shock!! Provoke you to reflect! To illustrate, there's a calypso about Adam and Eve which works on many levels. It's a humorous song about the world's first couple, a commentary on modern marriage and it has observations about keeping covenant. PHEW! Shattock And Rust manage to squeeze an extraordinary amount into their songs. When so much Christian music is dishwater and daffodils, Shattock And Rust are champagne and roses!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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