One Man In The Middle brings you regular, unbiased and honest reviews of music EPs and albums from Christian artists and musicians, of all styles and abilities, from all over the world. Here we have “Unmovable” by Shae Wilbur with an overall review score of 7 out of 10.

Album Information:

Touring Latin America, the Middle East and more locations around the world, Shae first shared her talents as a contestant on Season 8 of American Idol. She quickly shot to fame in both the US and UK after her audition aired and made front-page news at numerous media outlets.

Harking back to that season, Shae invited fellow contestant Danny Gokey to join her on her EP’s first single and title track, ‘Unmovable’. “It was so much fun getting to sing this new song with Danny. From the songwriting to the doors that have been opened to the new relationships that God is bringing into our lives, my husband Joel and I feel that we should be doing this right now for such a time as this,” shares Shae, who just became a new mother with the birth of her firstborn son, Shiloh Joel, May 5.

REVIEW:
The various TV pop/talent shows in the UK and US have uncovered a number of Christians who might not have made it the full distance on their respective TV shows, but have gone on to have their own music careers. Shae Wilbur auditioned in 2009 for American Idol (as Sharon Wilbur) and made it through to the Hollywood round, but sadly didn’t travel any further in that competition. Since then she has had a few EPs and other recordings, most recently she appeared with her Father in Law, Paul Wilbur, on his Roar From Zion album. Shae was brought up as a Messianic Jew and that faith is the centre-piece of this release. Besides her recording career, Shae is also a TV producer, a writer for songs placed on hundreds of American TV shows and a new Mum (or Mom for the Americans).

The first track is really the key track on this whole release, it’s also the title track “Unmovable” and is recorded with fellow American Idol contestant from 2009 Danny Gokey (Danny came 3rd in the series) and now appears courtesy of the Sparrow Records label. The song itself is a made for Christian radio pop track which ticks all the boxes of vulnerability and trust in God through the storms of life. It’s one of those songs that won’t take long to learn and you can just add your voice into as you sing your faith in God. This works well and is a strong opener to this EP. Sticking with the pop-style we have the next track “I Am” which covers similar ground, remembering God’s precious care for us in those troubled times. The title takes us straight back to the name that God gave Moses for the Israelites and it is this unchanging nature of God in this ever-changing world that is solid and dependable. The next track is “Endless”, I don’t mean that it goes on for a long time although it is the longest song on the album by 1 second. Endless is also the song that was performed on the “Roar From Zion” live concert. This song is a wondering Psalm as we try to get to grips with the love of Yahweh that is totally incomprehensible.

We have a world that tells us what we are and what we should buy to become who we should be. This leaves us with pressure to be someone or something that we were never created to be. For many people this causes all sorts of problems and so for those of us who find our identity in Jesus Christ it is good to have a reminder of who God says that we are. Some of that reminder is contained in the song “You Say” which conveys the truth of what He says over us as we hear the whisper of God through the clamouring voices.

“Heart of You” is the last track of this short release, but actually is a significant song because it is not about the world around us, it’s not about a reaction to what God has done, it is a commitment as she sings “every part of me will chase the heart of you”. This essence of chasing after God as He chases us is truly what it means to walk as a Christian in this world. As we chase God’s heart we will get to see these other things that He is speaking over us.

This is an all-too-short release with just 5 songs and if you love you pop styles with short made-for-radio tracks then this will satisfy. There’s a lot of the driving melody and chorus, but not a huge amount of depth or lyrical content. They are easy to sing anthems which will appeal to some people more than others. I enjoyed the references that reflect her background and I would love to hear more of those in something that has this pop style. We need people like Shae who can take the values of her background and culture and convey them in a relatable way to the evangelical world, especially of young believers who may not realise the significance of the Jewish faith upon our modern Christianity. The production is really good and it does definitely leave you wanting more, but mostly I was left wanting a bit more depth of expression.

For track listing & snippets, ranking breakdown and more, check out onemaninthemiddle