Reviewed by Mike Gill

This album - Aaron's fourth - is a collaboration with highly respected producer Ed Cash. Ed pushed Aaron beyond his own expectations - "he had me singing more passionately, less precisely, higher, louder and even more quietly." The songs are a subtle balance of power rock blended with those introspective quiet moments that refresh and inspire. The collection carries a powerful vocal message, smoothly backed by a superb blend of instruments and finished off with a high polish. Tracks of particular note include Aaron's latest Christian radio hit "My Hope Is In You". Christians and non-Christians alike clearly connect with this song - 1.9 million YouTube hits can't be wrong. "Never Been A Greater Love" is one of the quieter tracks. In it a thoughtful Aaron offers thanks and praise to his Saviour for all those gifts with which he's been endowed. "Sing Of My Redeemer" is outstanding - from the bright and attractive opening, Aaron opens his heart to tell us of the man that has bought him with his blood. The song is an emotional build up of layered strings, driving percussion and meaningful lyrics climaxing with Ed Cash's signature wall of sound. This song might well be one of the anthems of 2011.

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Produced by Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Leeland, Chris August), This Is What We Believe retains a poetic simplicity, even amidst a warm and sometimes adventurous sound architecture. It’s vintage Aaron Shust, to be sure, but with Cash at the helm, the familiar textures seem to fall together in new ways.

“Ed really pushed me out of my comfort zone,” Aaron explains. “He could hear possibilities in the melodies and even in my voice that I hadn’t explored before. He had me singing more passionately, less precisely, higher, louder and even more quietly than I ever had before. And it worked. This Is What We Believe is an honest reflection of who I am as an artist, but Ed managed to draw that out and express it in ways that never would have occurred to me. It was a great collaboration.”