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Nicole Nordeman's first live CD, Live at the Doors was recorded during a two night stay at the Door in Dallas, Texas.  The Door is a small predominantly Christian nightclub, which has been a favorite resting place for many musicians. 

After seeing Nordeman live a couple of times, I was anxious to hear what the new disc would sound like.  Once I saw her perform a nearly 2 hour set on the piano alone.  Her story-telling voice and story-telling songs made me drift away to a musical island.  Another time, I caught her on Steven Curtis Chapman's tour.  While it was solid, it lacked the intimacy and authenticity of the college show. 

After one listen of the disc, it was easy to see she went with the completely laid back, beautifully acoustic music.  I was not disappointed.  There is no doubt to it, Nordeman is solid live.  On this project she worked alongside of what seemed like Nashville session players. 

Sonically, the CD is extremely tight, and includes her most popular songs to date: "Holy," "I Am," and "Legacy."  Nordeman also puts a mellow twist on the Cyndi Lauper's "Time after Time." 

I want to recommend this project to anyone who enjoys Nordeman or good solid ballads written and performed acoustically live.  The only complaint is the length of the disc.  There are only 8 songs on the disc, and the time is just over 37 minutes. 

Last I checked, 72 minutes and more fit on a disc.  Kind of makes one think that the rest of the live concert was really bad.  If you can get it on discount, make the purchase.  But don't pay full price for 1/2 of a project.

John Wehrle 6/8/2003
 

The wide-eyed songstress serves up her first official album of live material on Live At the Door after the disappointing shift in lyrical focus and lure of pop accessibility tarnished the AC-happy Woven & Spun and, not surprisingly, won Nichole Nordeman tons of equally AC-happy fans. She originally gave us a glimpse of what she sounds like in a live setting on the emotional Easter-themed ballad "Why," tacked on at the end of her sophomore album This Mystery. If you're wondering what this new album sounds like, that song is a great indicator of what you'll find on this new collection of concert tapes.

This is not a full concert recording. Clocking in at 37 minutes for only eight songs, this should be marketed as a live EP, but the moderate $9.99 price tag at least compensates for that omission. Fans of her (inexplicably) critically acclaimed third album may enjoy the four songs from Woven & Spun, but her better back catalog gets put on the back burner. Wide Eyed contributes two tunes and This Mystery just one, with a cover of Cindy Lauper's '80s hit "Time After Time" rounding things out.

The mini concert starts things off with the song that put her on the map, the passionate "To Know You," and the track, as well as the rest of the selections, is given an organic, less synthesized touch than its original. Nordeman intersperses her own inviting mezzo with sparse keyboards, light percussion, and a barely noticeable guitar, putting her understated piano abilities at the forefront. The super-popular "Holy" is next, with an earthy drum loop (which later gets replaced by physical drumming) and a one-fingered accordion serving as an atypical lead-in to the song that unfolds in a way very analogous to the studio version.

The rhythm players, consisting of an on-point upright bassist, a tranquil drummer/percussionist, and that same accordionist, embellish the quirky "Is It Any Wonder?" which makes an unexpected appearance amidst the other pop selections. Though the song is fairly faithful to the original, Nichole's voice gets a little too experimental and unrestrained whenever she sings "until he/she/they get pulled under," coming across as an older, similarly uncontrolled version of Katy Hudson or Fiona Apple. Perhaps the jazzy nature of the song prompted her to try something different and unconventional, even though the output caught on tape sounds a little messy.

The rest of the Woven & Spun picks, "I Am," "Legacy," and "My Offering," are all reverently akin to their CD counterparts. The ballad "I Am," although calm and peaceful, is almost a carbon copy of the master version found on Spun and can become a little sleepy as the verses progress. Only the worship flair towards the end of "My Offering" salvages that song; it is the only factor that differentiates the live interpretation from its original.

Cindy Lauper's "Time After Time" saves the day just when things were getting a little dull. The arrangement is simple and laid-back, but Nichole's emotive voice and heartfelt delivery manages to breathe a fresh air of spiritual significance to a tune that was most certainly intended as a song about love lost. The lines "If you're lost, you can look, and you will find me time after time / If you fall, I will catch you --I'll be waiting, time after time" give a refreshing view of a Savior who is continually chasing after us, and Nordeman sounds very at home while intoning them.

The decision to not include any audio interaction between the artist and the audience is disappointing. The absence of such a common practice in live recording is felt throughout Live at the Door, which could have served as a great medium for Nordeman to show off her skills as conversationalist and to demonstrate her ability to engage people with her wit and humor.

Aside from these qualms, the all-too-short Live At the Door is a mildly satisfying buy for ardent Nichole fans or anyone who has never had a chance to see her in concert. With the imminent birth of her baby, this disc may have to serve as a substitute for some time, although it will hardly quench the thirst of those who discovered her craft prior to her days as a Dove favorite.

Andree Farias 8/11/2003