Reviewed by Tony Cummings

This British-based songsmith seemed to arrive from nowhere to wow audiences at Greenbelt '04. In fact 'The Middle Of It All' is the fruit of amazing reinvention after an eight-year writer's block. What singer/songwriter/producer Nic has succeeded in doing is deliver an album which is deeply spiritual yet a million miles from those exercises in Jesus name dropping often associated with CCM. It's roots-orientated with beautifully played acoustic guitars and winsome mandolins yet with its drumloops and synths couldn't be called "folk" by even the most liberal critic. And it shows influences from a wide range of artists including Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and David Gray yet never for a moment loses its crystal clear originality. The song lyrics are rich in poetic enigma and often raise as many questions as they answer. But they exude a thoughtfulness and are beautifully executed. Nic's voice won't be to everyone's taste but he never over exerts himself. I'm reliably told Nic's innovative merge of acoustic music and electronica is called digifolk. All I know is that this sensitive spinner of musical moods is a most welcome addition to the growing list of thoughtful spiritual songsmiths. Don't leave it another eight years before you make another album, Nic.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.