Nicki Allan - The Kingdom Of The Lord

Wednesday 1st September 2004
Nicki Allan - The Kingdom Of The Lord
Nicki Allan - The Kingdom Of The Lord

STYLE: Pop
RATING 5 5 5 5 5
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 9875-9461
LABEL: Independent
FORMAT: CD Album

Reviewed by Phil Thomson

Such a tender, smokey blues voice from a new Leeds-based singer should not be preaching and pointing the finger - it should be reducing us to tears with its vulnerability and drawing us up into the heights of gutsy anger or celebration. Instead, in this independent release, we are rushed through wordy numbers which do no more than describe the Righteous Path, with wafts of predictable backing vocals and arrangements from 30 years ago. It's all a little too earnest, too didactic, with most of the songs suffering from the temptation to create country gospel crossovers. There is simply no time to think. It takes honesty, not just sincerity, to communicate effectively through song and this album is an example of the limitations of the Christian "language" - a perfect mask. I just don't know who this person is, how she feels. I want to live the songs, not just face the onslaught. I did wonder if Nicki Allan knows how good she actually can be; there is a quite outstanding track buried in the schizophrenia - "Oh Lord, Your Love Is All Around Me" - a memorable, vaguely Celtic, cello-based entreaty - it will definitely be on my deck at least once a week from now on - and perhaps it is an indication of the direction she should take. As a writer, her best opportunity lies with the beautifully penned "Cherish The Children" yet even here, the lazy arrangement and dull electric keyboard simply throw it away. Sadly, the naivety shows in the quite pointless remix of that same anthem later on. The voice is there, the heart's in the right place, the judgment a little lacking. Sometimes the biggest drawback to creativity is being on a mission. Nicki Allan needs to relax, find a style of her own courtesy of a few good songwriters and learn to interpret a subject. I am certain a bigger stage awaits.

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.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.