Nordeman's third release, Woven and Spun, strikes a new chord and a fresh melody with a strong recording. The worship bent album kicks off with a fresh groove called "Holy," which will make you want to hit the back button to listen over and again. But resist the urge, there are plenty of songs worth listening to on the album.
Like all of her previous releases, Nordeman, once again, shows that she can take a fragment of her faith and turn it into a beautiful understandable truth. She does all of this, while keeping the lyrics amazingly insightful. Thus, as the project unfolds, one realizes that they are looking through a window into the heart of how Nordeman worships God.
All of the recorded songs can be likened to a prayer from Nordeman's heart straight to the realm of God's domain. She thanks God for his "Mercies New," for being "Healed," offers her "Doxology," and asks God to "Take me as I Am."
The themed album is great, because it's a form of worship, but not atypical of the Nashville scene. It's a fresh breath of prayers written with deep insight and a realness that is reflected in the lyrics and pointed ideas.
Nordeman's transparency couldn't be more clearly written than in the ballad entitled, "I Am." Nordeman sings, "Only 16, life is so mean, what kind of curfew is 10 PM. He saw my mistakes, saw my heart break...Heartache healer, secret keeper, be my best friend, you said, I am."
The album is relatively slow with the exception of the title track and the Sheryl Crow like, "(I have) Never Loved You More."
The album ends with, "Gratitude," Nordeman's last and final prayer on the recording. It's fitting that she ends the CD with a song about thanksgiving and a last reflection on why she loves God so much.
Other coverage for this album
The Rebel Base 2002Reviewed by Josh HurstBack in 1987, Sam Phillips sang that "answers don't come easy." Nichole Nordeman knows that. Never one to shy away from the difficulties and painful truths of life, the talented poet, singer, and pianist has quickly developed a reputation as one of the most profound and honest Christian lyricists around. Like Bono, Nordeman "wrestles the Angel" and searches her soul for answers to the mysteries…The Rebel Base 2002Reviewed by Andree FariasMeditations on God's goodness and divine attributes with an intelligent twist and a safer adult contemporary sound is an apt way of describing Nichole Nordeman's third release, Woven and Spun. Straying from the alternative, at-times dark pop stylings of her previous efforts and exchanging the probing questions and lyrical fodder for more liturgical expressions of gratitude and praise might give…Similar sounding releases
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