A worthy follow up!
Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 09/15/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
""A dream to believe in, Vol. 2" is the follow up to Gospel singer/songwriter Nicole C. Mullen's "Sharecropper's Seed Vol.1" which came out early 2007. While it's predecessor found her going in a more acoustic, almost Folk direction, this is edgier and more Rock oriented.
"Look like me" (with a nice catchy Na na na na refrain) is a driving rocker with lyrics touching on racism. Other upbeat songs are the catchy "Feel like I'm in love", the jubilant "Forever you reign" (a chugging rocker with lyrics of Praise and Worship to God - I love the downbeat way it ends after all that energy), the infectious "Brainwash" a Rock/Hip hop song talking about the need for our brains to be washed clean of the polluting influences of the world, and the fun "Work with me (dance)", an electronic dance number with great Tribal, Bluegrass, and Hip hop breaks that Mullen says is her workout song.
"Yo mama" is a lovely acoustic ballad with an airy lilting chorus and lyrics praising the work mothers do in our lives. "Still a dream" reminds me a bit of "On my knees" (which she co-penned for Jaci Velasquez). Other ballads are the Latin tinged "Treat her like a lady" (with lovely horns and a great guitar solo), and the tender "Start over again" (a song about having a fresh start to ones marriage instead of packing it in).
Highlight has got to be the dramatic "Blessed and broken" which starts off with different children (in different accents) stating what they would like to be when they grow up. It tells the Biblical story of the little boy whose few loaves and fish fed a multitude after having been blessed and broken by Jesus, and likens our lives to that; yielded to Jesus to be blessed and broken. Nice choir harmonies.
I think this is a very good follow up to "Sharecroppers seed", every bit as good as that effort and another deeply spiritual, touching and beautiful release from Nicole C. Mullen."