Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Strong honest lyrics and beautiful music
Cons: None
The Bottom Line:
Fresh musical sounds
And lyrics that make me think
Debut's a winner
Eyes Wide Open to Questions
Sometimes, Christian music glosses over the struggles and
doubts in life. While I love songs of praise that remind me of theological
truths, I know that's not all there is to Spiritual life. That's why I latched
on to Wide Eyed and don't plan to let go any time in the near future.
Nichole Nordeman doesn't shy away from asking questions. And
she doesn't feel she needs to provide the answers. That's why this CD is such a
breath of fresh air.
The very first track resonated with me. In "To Know
You," Nichole admits to sharing the struggles of Doubting Thomas and
Nicodemus. Yet the chorus is a cry "Be patient with my doubt, I'm just
trying to figure out Your will. And I really want to know you still."
Stylistically, it's a mid-tempo pop track with catchy melody that's easy to get
stuck in your head.
The honesty continues on the similarly themed "Who You
Are." This mid-tempo track marvels at the complexity of God and struggles
to understand him without putting him in a nice, neat little box. I must
confess that this song was a bit of a whack upside the head when I first
listened to it.
"To Say Thanks" continues with the mid-tempo
tracks. This song struggles with the trials in life. Yet it doesn't ask
"Why me?" but "Why does it keep getting harder to say
thanks?" The verses are a bit subdued with Nichole's piano taking the
forefront. But when the verse comes, the drums become stronger and the tempo
increases slightly, giving the song a driving force that just adds to the
power.
The CD closes with "River God," a lovely piano
based ballad. Here, God is compared to a river, but we are the peddles that God
is slowly smoothing day by day. Nichole's piano is accompanied by just a couple
stringed instruments (cello maybe?) which make for a beautiful song that washes
over you like the river she sings about.
These are my four favorite tracks on the album, and I could
listen to them repeated for days on end. But the other tracks are great as
well. "Burnin'" compares faith to a fire and discusses the hesitation
to let God light the first of faith. "Gone are the Days" speaks of
the freedom that comes from surrendering to the love of God.
Musically, the focus in on Nichole's piano playing. Most
songs feature drums and/or guitar as well. The entire CD is pop oriented with
just a hint of soft rock thrown in on some of the drum loops. Nothing here is
truly fast or "rocky," mid tempo is as fast as she ever gets. Yet she
has a strong voice that can belt out some of these choruses, adding to the
intensity of the lyrics. Sarah McLachlan always comes to mind when I listen to
the CD, especially on the title track.
Wide Eyed caught my ear and my heart from the first time I
heard it and hasn't let go yet. If you are looking for something a little
deeper from Christian music, this CD is for you.
CD Length: 43:09
Tracks:
1. To Know You
2. Wide Eyed
3. Who You Are
4. Anyway
5. I Wish the Same for You
6. Is it Any Wonder
7. Gone are the days
9. To Say Thanks
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