FOUND IN YOU

Brooke Nicholls is a Canadian worship leader/songwriter. Her bio states: "Seven years into a pop music career; three independent records, and many missed successes later, Brooke began looking backward, at all the heartache and disappointment, and saw very clearly the hand of God guiding her each step of the way-and so she wrote". The result was 2016's FOUND IN YOU. It was produced by her husband Steve Lensink. In the liner notes, Brooke writes: "Thanks Jesus-The reason I sing, the reason I worship, and the reason I write. Without You, my purpose in all of this wouldn't exist. Thank You Lord for calling me into the unknown with grace and everlasting love". In 2018 Brooke won two GMA Canada awards: 'New Artist of the Year' and 'Female Vocalist of the Year'. She has shared the stage with the likes of MercyMe, Love & The Outcome, and The Color.

1. First up is 'Beauty from Ashes'. It's one of five songs on this project that are solely penned by Brooke. This one is an adult contemporary ballad that speaks of God's transforming power: "Once empty, made whole/Rekindled light burns within my soul/You're near me, I'm restored/Hope alive, I will rise/Stronger than before/Beauty from ashes with peace that surpasses/You turned my mourning into joy/Hearts that are broken find healing unspoken/You turned my silence into song".

2. Brooke co-wrote the title track, 'Found in You', with fellow Canadian artist Dan Macaulay. It's a great light pop song about finding one's identity in Jesus: "I rest in Your truth, perfectly loved by You/No condemnation, my one salvation/I rest in Your truth, perfectly loved by You/No condemnation, Jesus I belong to You/And the truth's that I am found in You/Covered by unending love/I am enough".

3. Fanny J. Crosby and Phoebe P. Knapp wrote one of the Christian faith's most beloved hymns, 'Blessed Assurance'. The melody is toyed with on this version to modernize it a bit and it works well.  It's still a song of personal testimony: "Perfect submission, all is at rest/I, in my Saviour, am happy and blessed/Watching and waiting, looking above/Filled with His goodness, lost in His love, oh His love, yeah/This is my story, this is my song/Praising my Saviour all the day long".

4. 'All I Need to Know' is a beautiful adult contemporary song of faith: "When the night is closing in/Fear begins to whisper I am not enough/Then the dawn begins to break/You have come to rescue/You have come to save/I will praise You in the dark/I'll praise You when it's hard/I will sing through all the pain/There's victory in Your Name/You, God-You never let me go/You God-Your strength is all I need to know". 

5. 'Grace Today (A Prayer)' is a pretty easy listening number that declares reliance on God: "You speak to me so humbly/Reminding me You're all I need/Nothing else could ever satisfy/Grace today, I need Your grace.../Your power made perfect/When I'm weak You're strong/Your grace sufficient/I find my rest though a thorn in my flesh/Your grace sufficient".

6. The classic hymn 'How Great Thou Art' follows. Here it is essentially presented as a modern praise and worship song: "And when I think that God, His Son not sparing/Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in/That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing/He bled and died, to take away my sin/Then sings my soul/My Saviour God to Thee/'How Great Thou art! How Great Thou art!'"

7. Next up is the album's lead single, 'Home', which hit #1 on Canada's largest Christian radio station. It's an adult contemporary song that invites people to come to Christ: "Come blind, come cripple/Come be made new/The gates of pearl are open/New life is waiting you/Oh, come thief, come beggar, come confess/Your history's rewritten/Yes, in heaven find your rest, living in eternity".

8. 'I Am Free' seems autobiographical and is moving: "Like a sheep gone astray/I had turned my own way/Wandering alone, I was lost/A slave to my shame/I could not make my own way/I never understood the cost/He came to pay my debt/He came to make a way/I am free/Bought by the blood of the King/Jesus laid His life down for me/Broke the chains that bound and rescued me/So that I could live free/I am free".

9. Last up is Eugene Monroe Bartlett's vintage praise and worship tune 'Victory in Jesus' which we used to sing at my home church a lot back in the day. Here, the song is presented in a tender, subdued, ballad manner. It is splendid and still reflects on Calvary and salvation: "Oh victory in Jesus, my Saviour forever/He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood/He loved me ere I knew Him/And all my love is due Him/He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood".

FOUND IN YOU is comprised of mainly slower, quieter modern praise and worship and adult contemporary fare. The people you will hear on this record are: Brooke Nicholls (vocals, keys), Steve Lensink (guitars, vocals, keys, programming), Justin Brix (guitars), Jared Fox (guitars, programming), and Jacob Schrodt (drums). The message of this album is that it is only in Jesus Christ that we can find our true identity. Through Christ, the Father loves on us, gives us His grace, heals us, restores us, and gives us His joy. Songs of testimony are found on this project. Gratitude for the cross, the blood of Jesus being shed, salvation, God's keeping power even in the dark times, and His creation are expressed here. It is made clear that Heaven is our true home. I'm rating this project 85.5%. For more info visit: www.brookenicholls.ca or connect with her on Facebook.