Customer Reviews

This Mystery

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Help me believe / 'Cause I don't want to miss any miracles / Maybe I'd see much better by closing my eyes / And I would shed this grownup skin I'm in to touch an angel's wing / And I would be free / Help me believe"...

When I first purchased "This Mystery" I wasn't even aware that it was a contemporary Christian album until I went home and started reading the lyrics! I was just so entranced with the song "Tremble" and what sounded like ordinary love ballads and fun pop tunes that I bought it without the slightest hint of hesitation, and now I believe there was a reason I came across this particular album: My faith was drowning deep within the waters of my shattered view on religion.

Nichole Nordeman sings with real, unforced passion and her songwriting is remarkable. She praises God but its not at all preachy. People like me can actually relate to these lyrics and wish to become a part of this mystery by letting Him in and believing - I mean TRULY believing. This is one of very few CDs that have ever made me cry because of the sheer beauty, not of the melody, but of the words! I've had this CD for many years now and I still get choked up every time I hear it. Nichole Nordeman has a true gift that was given to her from God and she uses it to voice His teachings and His love - which is pure and unconditional. I've had my share of doubts but, thanks to wonderful, uplifting, heart-stirring music like this, and thanks to a friend who is like my earthbound angel (you know who you are and I love it when we soar together!), my soul has been lifted and its slowly but steadily becoming easier for me to see and to embrace the light. Life is too short and how we live it is entirely up to us so I suggest that we make the best of it - since its the only one we've got. It's tiresome and depressing to be alive and to fear the dreadful coming of death (which is an issue I've struggled with many times before), but to look at it as a part of this journey and to accept that this is only our temporary home and that Heaven awaits us all with open arms is an awesome reality to ease the mind, which is honestly concerned with way too much logic to cloud the faith buried within our very souls - just longing to be released.

I don't know where this all came from but I'm speaking from the heart. IMHO, if you don't buy this than you're a fool, so please give it a chance. Even if you're uncertain about God's existence, buy this and take that step forward to see where this mystery leads you.

Nichole's done it again. Her first album, "Wide Eyed", quickly became one of my favorite albums due to the amazing lyrics she writes and the emotion she puts into her songs.

"This Mystery", while the emphasis is different, does not disappoint. "Wide Eyed" focused on the struggles of her Christian walk and the questions she has. The new album focuses on the vastness and deity of God, realizing that we will never have all the answers that we want. This is more of a praise album, in the sense that she shows appreciation for the different aspects of God. What I like most about Nichole is how "real" she is with her lyrics, and she's in top form again.

The last two songs, "Every Season" and "Why" are my favorites, but there are plenty of good lyrics and melodies along the way. Buy the album, and by all means, see her in concert if you have the chance.

I got her first CD back in early 1999 and wore it out for several months because it was SO great! Naturally, I was excited by the prospect of a new Nichole Nordeman album. And she hasn't let us down! Her sound is "bigger" on this album, if that makes sense. She's expanded her horizons a bit without any drastic changes - a tricky balance that she does incredibly well. The lyrics are again beautiful and encouraging for both Christian and seeking non-Christians. And I love her cover of "As." There's not a bad song on here. And, as someone else already stated, if you don't have her first album either - buy 'em both!

Yup, this album is no slump. I bought her first album back in 1998 and was anxious to see what she came up with next. No surprises here. And that's not a bad thing, because I liked the sound of the first album and the lyrics even more. Again, Ms. Nordeman delivers on both accounts. The music is varied from simple and slow-paced songs like "every season" to fast, almost techno songs like "tremble". And the lyrics, well, Ms. Nordeman is not only a great musician, but a poet. If you're looking for music that gets you involved, not only with the melodic lines and beats but with lyrical lines as well, look no further. I went to her concert recently. It was an extremely quiet concert, the audience only making noise after she had finished singing, not because they were not enjoying it, but because the words engaged the audience and had them straining to hear the next phrase. It's the same case with her new album. Here's a sampling of how the songs have challenged me: "This mystery" challenges me to make each day sacred and not just the routine profane. "Fool for You" encourages the Christian to realize that who/what we believe in, Jesus or otherwise all comes down to faith and how it has changed me. "Every Season" (probably my favorite) reminds me that God is present and offers hope in every season of my life. Well, this review is probably too long, but I don't want someone to miss out on this gem. Pick it up, and be prepared to drop what you're doing when you listen, because this album will demand your full attention and will enrich you spiritually for your small sacrifice of time.

On her second CD, Nichole Nordeman once again invites her listeners to rediscover the wonder of child-like faith. Through the songs, she struggles with understanding God and how to incorporate that into her daily life.

The project opens with the title songs, a reference to the fact that God chooses to use us, lowly humans that we are. But overall the song is a call to slow down from the daily routine so God can use us mysteriously.

"Tremble" is a call to remember that God is the almighty one and not take our standing in Him through Jesus too lightly.

"Fool for You" is a commitment to have faith in God and His work when everything and everyone else seems to contradict it. Ironically, "Help Me Believe," a cry for more faith, follows that song. I love both songs, however, because I often find myself both clinging to faith and wanting to find the faith I've felt I've lost.

"Small Enough" is a very intimate prayer for the great God to be with us in times of pain and uncertainty when we feel abandoned in spite of what we know He's done in the past.

And this is only the first half of the CD! Nichole Nordeman wrote or co-wrote almost all of the songs herself. She has a poetic pen and good ear for melody as well as a strong voice.

If you want something that will challenge and encourage you at the same time, be sure to pick up this CD today. It will become a treasured part of your collection.

This cd rocks both heart and mind. It is more than just a typical foot tappin non-thinkin cd. You must be alert and thinking because these lyrics make you think. Like wide-eyed, this mystery will bring your mind and heart closer to God. It is honest and very thought provoking. Buy this. Do the thinking part of your faith a favor.

This wonderful singer recently performed a concert at our church and she truly has a great gift. Most of the songs on this album are great, but the last two are the pinnacle of the CD to me.

Every Season is a great melody, but when I heard why it was written, it gave the whole song a deeper meaning. I heard a friend of Nichole's had been married to her soulmate and deeply devoted only to have her husband lost to cancer at a very early age and suddenly. Whether or not it is 100% accurate, you will appreciate the true emotion of the song on a more personal level when you listen to the lyrics in that context.

The Bonus Track, "Why" tells the story of the crucifixition of Christ through the eyes of a child, but also with the pain of a parent losing a child (as God must allow Jesus to die). Being a parent myself, the song is especially powerful and I encourage everyone to play this song, even for non-Christians. It is the kind of message which makes someone think. And if that leads one person more to know God on a personal level, then it will have been a huge success.

My toughest task was explaining to my six year-old why her parents were crying as we listened to the song being sung on stage. It led to further discussions, and I imagine that was one of Nichole's hopes in writing the song.

I recommend this CD for those two songs alone and the rest of the album is also well-done. I encourage every Christian to invest in this and play it for others and perhaps bring some others closer to heaven.

I bought This Mystery on the basis of hearing my friend play a quick soundbyte of "Fool for you" in his car once. This CD is fantastic, ranging from haunting, achingly beautiful piano to faster, catchy rhythms and melodies. Nichole's voice is really pure, most noticeably on the tear-jerking "Why?" (live - a bonus track on the CD). I have been a Christian for 10 years and this song really opened up the pain and agony that Jesus went through on the cross for you and me. I just love Nichole's honesty in her lyrics - she is not afraid to ask hard questions or give God all the glory. I can't wait for her next one. If you like Jennifer Knapp et al, you should really add Nichole Nordeman to your collection. It has moved me to tears many times.

I've had "Wide Eyed" for over a year, so was very excited to hear a new sound from Nichole. I loved her first cd but actually think I find "This Mystery" to be an overall better cd. She is the most amazing lyricist I've ever heard. I love to just sit and take in all the words her songs have to say. I feel she is one of the most honest Christian artists I've ever heard. She isn't afraid to speak of her times of doubt or her questions. She lets you know it is ok to go through hard times...God will still be there. My favorite songs are "This mystery" and "Fool for you". All her songs on this cd are very singable. Any musician or vocalist will appreciate her work. I reccomend it as a must buy for any one!! You will love it as much as I do I hope~:)

If you liked her first album, you'll like her second. If you never heard her first, buy 'em both! This album is more of the same heartfelt, thinking out loud, examining her Christianity in front of us all, taking us along for the ride. A really, really good album.

And she included a bonus track -- a song I saw her do in concert called "Why?" that'll just blow you away.

She's really using her gifts to the glory of God.