Nichole Ellyse Nordeman was born on January 3, 1972. She was raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She released her debut studio album WIDE EYED in 1998. All four singles from it became Top 40 hits on Christian Adult Contemporary radio. Her second album, THIS MYSTERY, was released by Sparrow Records in 2000. It was produced and arranged by Mark Hammond and executive produced by Grant Cunningham. In the liner notes, Nichole writes: "'Walking On Water' by Madeleine L'Engle should be, in my opinion, required reading for anyone who has ever tried to navigate the murky waters where the worlds of faith and art still swim around together. Ms. L'Engle has given me a gentle nudge to remember and reclaim the innocence, naivete, and mystery of my faith long before it got lost in the land of adult reasoning".
Starting things off is one of eight songs Nichole penned alone, 'This Mystery', the title track. This bouncy pop song is addressed to God: "Do You wish, do You want us to breathe again?/Say goodbye to the lines that we've colored in brown and grey/From day to day, hey, yeah/Do You cry, do You hope for all things made new?/Try and try to invoke us to live in You/That we might be/The hands and feet of this mystery, oh". 'Tremble' is a funky adult contemporary ballad about Nichole's relationship with God: "Have I come too casually?/Because it seems to me/There's something I've neglected/How does one approach a Deity with informality/And still protect the Sacred.../Oh, let me not forget to tremble (2X)". 'Fool For You' is a beautiful song of spiritual dedication: "I would be a fool for You/All because You asked me to/A simpleton who's seemingly naive/I do believe You came and made Yourself a fool for me".
Next up is 'Help Me Believe', a quiet song that longs for a more innocent time: "Take me back to the time when I was maybe eight or nine/And I believed/When Jesus walked on waters blue/And if He helped me, I could too/If I believed/Before rationale, analysis, and systematic thinking/Robbed me of a sweet simplicity/When wonders and when mysteries/Were far less often silly dreams/And childhood fantasies". Fernando Ortega provides harmony vocals on 'Small Enough'. It's an easy listening number that includes these prayerful words: "Oh great God/Be small enough to hear me now/Oh great God/Be close enough to feel You now/There have been moments when I could not face Goliath on my own/And how could I forget we marched around our share of Jerichos.../Just wanna know that everything will be alright".
Nichole co-wrote the pop/R&B track 'Lookin' At You (Lookin' At Me)' with Mark Hammond and Jill Tomalty. It has very relatable lyrics: "I'm not tryin' to set an expectation/I'm not askin' for the moon/I just need a little confirmation, something true/Lookin' at you/I'm lookin' at you, lookin' at me/Lookin' for love that comes with a guarantee/What if I knew all that I need/Is held in a hand that'll always offer me this love". 'As' is a cover of a 1976 Stevie Wonder song. Geoff Thurman provides backing vocals on this upbeat pop/R&B song of romance: "As around the sun the earth knows she's revolving/And the rose buds know to bloom in early May/Just as hate knows love's the cure/You can rest your mind assure/That I'll be loving you always".
Nichole co-wrote 'Home' with Mark Hammond. It's a nice pop song of testimony: "And the mystery of Your love for me/Is not as hidden as it seemed to be/Should have known then when You said to me/'Seek and you will find'/It was right here all the time". 'Please Come' is a song of spiritual invitation: "There is room enough for all of us, please come/And the arms are open wide enough, please come/And our parts are never greater than the sum/This is the heart of the One/Who stands before an open door and bids us, 'Come'".
'Every Season' is an easy listening ballad about seeing God in nature: "And I notice You in children's games/In those who watch them from the shade/Every drop of sun is full of fun and wonder/You are summer.../And still I notice You when branches crack/And in my breath on frosted glass/Even now in death/You open doors for life to enter/You are winter". The Nashville String Machine is used to good effect. Last up is the Bonus Track, 'Why'. In 1998 it won Nordeman a songwriting competition sponsored by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) and led her to receive a recording contract. Here, on this live version, Roger Ryan plays piano and John Catchings plays cello. Much like Ray Boltz's 'Watch the Lamb', this is a moving ballad that sees Calvary through a child's eyes: "So I said, 'Daddy, why are they screaming?/Why are the faces of some of them beaming?/Why is He dressed in that bright purple robe?/I bet that crown hurts Him more than He shows/Daddy, please, can't you do something?/He looks as though He's gonna cry/You said He was stronger than all of those guys/Daddy, please tell me why/Why does everyone want Him to die?'".
On THIS MYSTERY Nichole Nordeman wrestles with her questions and doubts such as: Who is God? Where is He? What is her relationship with Him to be like? The lyrics are very thought provoking and some Christians might not appreciate her being so inquisitive, but I believe God can handle it. In the end, she finds God to be loving and true. Fans of the pop, adult contemporary, and easy listening sounds of Sara Groves, Sarah McLachlan, and Jann Arden should check this one out! Though there are a couple times where the album gets sleepy, I'm still rating it 92%. For more info visit www.nicholenordeman.com and connect with her on Facebook.