It’s hard to believe that Paul Baloche has been putting out worship music for 20 years now. Along the way he’s written a number of songs that have become church standards, including “Open the Eyes of My Heart” and “Above All.” 

With The Same Love, Baloche has produced a solid collection of songs tat breaks no new ground, but doesn’t provide any embarrassing moments, either. The title track is instantly subtle and memorable, and there are a handful of other great moments here. Lyrically, Baloche sticks to solid, tried and true themes. He routinely appropriates well-known words from hymns, which lends The Same Love a comfortable, earthy feel. 

Occasionally repetition makes this simplicity a little dull (such as on “Your Blood Ran Down”), but for the most part the songs here have an unassuming depth. Musically this is nothing you haven’t heard before; the melodies and structures come courtesy of Coldplay’s Parachutes and the dynamics are ripped right from The Joshua Tree. Thankfully, the modest nature of this effort means you won’t judge it too harshly on that front. 

Three stars out of five