Heart-rending and bitterly angry, N/I/S may be their best!
02/05/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have been a fan of the Indigo Girls for about eight years now, I've seen them in concert twice, and I have to say that of all their albums, this is perhaps their most powerful and outspoken. The lyrical styles of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have remained relatively constant over the years, but the songs on this album, particularly "Hammer and Nail" and "Welcome Me", are at the same time both beautiful to hear and inimitably painful to experience. These two women put such power, joy, and longing into both their words and their voices that it is impossible to listen to this album and come away from it unchanged (I know because I forced some friends who weren't Indigo Girls fans to listen to it, and they loved it!). By far my favorite album, and one well worth the price."
The perfect companion for a lone traveller.
Alana (alanajedi@hotmail.com) | Melbourne, Australia (usually....) | 01/11/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"N*I*S has taken me places, and it's followed me around the world on my journeys. This is one of my favourite Indigo Girls albums - in fact it was my first introduction to their talent beyond 'Closer To Fine'. For me, this collection of songs speaks of self discovery through the understanding of relationships between friends, lovers, family, and the physical world. Emily and Amy have only collaborated on a couple of songs in their entire career, and their independant songwriting has worked perfectly on this release - 5 of Emily's finest have shown up, and 6 Amy gems rear their intense heads. Mortality and and celebration of growth are two recurrent themes throughout their songs on Nomads. Also a common thread is the discovery life's beauty through reflection, both tragic and humorous. Listening to the album while I write this, I am tempted to compare the wonderful production of this album to Shawn Colvin's "Steady On" in it's polished acoustics and honest guitar playing.I highly recommend this Nomads Indians Saints as a gift or as an introduction to Folk and the Indigos. And like I said, it's the perfect companion for a lone traveller. I've travelled the world three times on this album, and I never tire of it. With my headphones on, my eyes on the ever-changing landscape, I listen to Amy's words, Emily's wonderful fingerpicking on the title track and listen to the perfectly apt lyrics "...this world falls on me, dreams of immortality, everywhere I turn - the beauty just keeps shaking me... I running, to the end of the earth. I'm swimming to the edge of the sea. I'm laughing, I'm under starry sky - this world was meant for me, don't bury me - carry me... this world was meant for me, I've got hopes of immortality...""
Another fabulous studio offering
Shelley Gammon | Kaufman, Texas USA | 07/10/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"More excellent work from the Indigo Girls. "1 2 3" was a little too rough for my tastes when I first heard the CD, but it grew on me... the rest of the tracks need no such "growing" time... they're excellent tracks and great to listen to. "Hammer and a Nail" is this album's answer to "Closer to Fine" on their self-titled debut.If you've only gotten the first installment of their work, you're really missing out if you don't pick this one up, too. The songs are a real treat and easy on the ears and the heart."
Probably their best studio work
Derek Wood | Los Angeles, CA | 11/24/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
""World Falls," "Watershed," "Hammer & A Nail," these are songs that I consider old friends. They're dependable, and they make me happy."
Best Indigo Girls Album Out There
Derek Wood | 01/12/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's more polished than "Strange Fire" or "Indigo Girls," but not too polished like "Rites of Passage" or anything that's come after that. It's about perfect. If you live in New England, it's a great album to play on an October afternoon out on a car ride. Rustic, Earthy, yearning. You can smell the leaves and the smoke from chimneys."