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There's nothing new under the sun.  The Bible tell us so, and John Lennon agreed, so it must be true.   So it's no wonder why its hard to find an album these days that isn't anything more than a representation of a genre. The same tricks pulled, the same hooks, the same lyrics about the same stuff.  As it happens, some of these artists try really hard, only to be drug down by what could be called a lack of...what...imagination?  Something to say?  The huevos to try something?  Out of My Hands, by Ed Nicholson, is one of these albums that is full of tired tricks in spite of the good intentions.

Out of My Hands is comprised of eleven tracks full of cookie-cutter Christian lyrics and run-of-the-mill sounds.  The album's opener, "Restoration" describes the problems of the world and it's affects on the believer. "Always a Savior" tells of the hope that is ever-present in trying situations, and "Totally God" is about.well, its pretty self-explanatory. If these songs serve as a testimony of the content of the album, the other songs deliver the verdict that not only does Ed not have anything new to say,  he doesn't even try to say the old things in a new way. The songs are SO filled with sing-along choruses, ultra hip(but ultra tired) drum loops, driving acoustic guitars and production tricks that would make this album stand up there with anything on the Adult Contemporary charts; so much so that it would be hard to pick it out of a line-up, and that's the rub.  The songs have a groove, and Ed sounds like he means it, but this album's been made so many times it just doesn't matter.  There's nothing here to catch the ear.  Ed Nicholson's Out of My Hands album sounds like it should be a good record; all of the parts are there.  However, despite the commitment of the performances, the parts just don't add up.   Sounding like a good record doesn't make it a good record.

Andy Odom 10/29/2003