Music Review: Live at the Door by Nichole Nordeman

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Wonderful songs
Cons: Little new for the fans
The Bottom Line:
The songs are classics
But fans already have them
Worth picking up cheap




Nichole Goes Acoustic

After three studio releases, Nichole decided to release a short live CD as a "between projects" treat for her fans. Live at the Door contains eight songs recorded over the course of two nights in Dallas, Texas.

Many live projects feature a full band and sound like the studio versions of the songs. Not so here. Nichole goes the acoustic route with just a few musicians taking the stage with her. As always, she plays the piano. Additionally, there's one guy on guitar, one on bass, one on percussion, and one on a variety of instruments including pump organ, toy piano, and accordion. Yes, you read those last two correctly. And they certainly stand out on the songs where they are used. But they do fit and sound good.

Some live CD's do so much talking that they don't hold up well to repeat listening. That isn't the case here. In fact, if it weren't for the audience applause between songs, you wouldn't know it was live at all. Nichole does no talking here, something I find slightly disappointing.

The song selection focuses on her third release, which was the most recent at the time. Half of the songs are from that CD. Despite how much I love that CD, I would have preferred to have a bit of a better mix from all three of them.

However, the songs that are here are great. "I Am" is even more a prayer of praise here. "Is it Any Wonder" becomes even jazzier. "Holy" is still a heart felt anthem praising God. "To Know You" is a little less alternative here then in its original recording. Yet all these songs are instantly recognizable by those familiar with Nichole's music. They sound slightly different but still sound wonderful.

There is one song that is new to Nichole's repertoire. She covers Cyndi Lauper's "Time and Time." I know nothing about the song's origin, but it certain works in a Christian context as a description of how God continues to love us despite our wandering away from Him. It fits Nichole's themes and style so well I didn't realize it was a cover until I read the linear notes.

On the whole, this is a quiet CD, both the volume and the songs selected. Even "Holy" and "Fool for You," two of the faster songs on here, are toned down. The result is a project that highlights Nichole's wonderful voice and her awesome lyrics. It's easy to worship along with Nichole while listening.

The biggest downside to the CD is the length. The eight tracks only run 37 minutes. I'm just really getting into the CD and suddenly it's over. Sure seems like they could have included a few extra tracks without too much more work.

Still, Live at the Door is a disc most fans will want to have to supplement their collection with slightly different takes on their favorite songs.