Watermark

Item: The Purest Place
Author: Brian A. Smith

The Purest Place

(2004)

Reviewed by Brian A. Smith

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Label Rocketown RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2004

adult contemporary ccm pop rock worship

Husband and wife team Nathan and Christy Nockels form the crux of CCM group Watermark. Nathan has recently become better known as a producer in CCM circles (Point of Grace, Matt Redman), and that may or may not be a contributing factor to this album -- he seems to focus on producing a "radio friendly" sound, which he does quite well. Unfortunately, he is almost unheard vocally on The Purest Place, relegating himself to understated backup vocals and acoustic guitar work.

Rocketown Records has found a formula in that they know what will play in Christian radio circles. This should not be seen as a critique -- much of what is produced there is of high quality (Chris Rice, George Rowe). The lyrics are unquestionably about God. At times, though, one wonders if the musicians miss the point of what real life is like. Watermark's latest is somewhat of a shift from previous albums like Constant, from songs about dealing with life to more praise-centered, worshipful tunes.

"Proem" is a spoken word piece by the couple's three year old son. "My Covering" walks the line vocally between Jaci Velasquez and Sara Groves, and is a likely radio staple when "Glory of Your Name" fades in popularity. Several of the songs here could be radio singles, but would be hard to separate sonically from their predecessors.

"Knees to the Earth" begs for forgiveness and illustrates humility that is often absent before God. "Come as You Are" features Nathan's vocals more prominently than any other song here, and reminds us repeatedly that "grace covers shame". "Mended" speaks to repaired relationships and the concept of God as healer of things that humans had long given up on. "Soli Deo Gloria" is drawn from Bach's habit of writing "SDG" on his compositions, and is a praise song built around the concept.

The Purest Place is a polished, almost too clean album that will resonate with CCM radio listeners more than anyone else. Newcomers to Watermark would do well to check out their earlier recordings first, then come back to The Purest Place later on. But then, radio rarely reflects the critics' choice, does it?

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