Nouveaux

Item: ...And This Is How I Feel
Author: Tim Sharpe

...And This Is How I Feel

(1996)

Reviewed by Tim Sharpe

Discogs YouTube

Label Benson Music GroupThe LighthouseDecember 1996

acoustic rock alternative rock pop rock

"Style change"-it's a phrase that's been booted around a lot lately in Christian music. It's the latest fad; everybody's doing it. These changes range from the slight (i.e. Petra or Steven Curtis Chapman) to the overt (Rebecca St. James or Eric Champion). When I heard about Nouveaux's style change, I have to admit I wasn't all that happy. The band's 1994 debut, Beginnings, is one of the best arena rock records ever, ranking right up there with Whiteheart's Tales Of Wonder and Michael Sweet's self-titled debut. But with the arena rock market disappearing, both of these artists changed styles with their latest releases, and Nouveaux has followed suit.

But Nouveaux's change is a little different from the trend in most style changes. The majority of the recent "transforming" artists have opted for a more aggressive style. Nouveaux, on the other hand, grabbed some acoustic guitars and lightened their approach, with refreshing results. There are many different flavors in this album, which are all combined to make something that is all their own, though strangely familiar. Some of the more obvious influences include One Hundred Days' modern rock flavor, Jars of Clay's minor key acoustics, Michael Sweet's acoustic arena rock, and the vintage Van Halen/Def Leppard arena rock harmonies that were the signature of Nouveaux's debut.

A few other influences were most likely thrown in by John and Dino Elefante, who produced this project. "Chasing Shadows" sounds like an old Kansas song. Considering John Elefante's former role as that band's lead vocalist, it's no surprise that the song was written by the Elefantes. "Listen" sounds a lot like a song from Petra's Beyond Belief era, with electric power chords and strong keyboard roles. "Simply Beautiful" starts out with a cool Jars of Clay-like chord progression, but the song shifts gears severely at the chorus with the introduction of an accordion, making this song sound too much like a polka (eew!).

This album has a lot more pop appeal than Beginnings. I expect that songs like "Maybe Tomorrow," "Through Heaven's Fields," and "Never See the Day" could spend a few weeks in the top 5 on the contemporary Christian charts, if not possibly hit #1. This is not to say that fans of Nouveaux's rock sound will be left in the dust. All three of the aforementioned songs have plenty of rock appeal as well, and another cut, "Wonder" is almost a flashback to Beginnings after an Audio Adrenaline-style intro.

I'd highly recommend this album. It's better than their outstanding debut, and will have a broader appeal. I've never seen such a clean transition from one style to another. The song-writing on this album is handled almost totally by the band's lead singers Steve Ashley and Paul Alan, with help from lead guitarist K.C. Smothers and producer John Elefante. The band only went through one personnel change with Brad Angus stepping down from the band and Jeff Ausdemore (who bears a slight resemblance to Jonathan Pierce) taking his place. The Elefantes did a great job producing this album. Each song features a very unique blend of acoustic, and electric guitars, bass, keyboards, and drums, with great vocals to boot.

I'm not really sure if this is quite the right album for someone looking exclusively for the rock sound of Beginnings. With the exception of "Wonder," the guys never get as edgy as they did on their debut, but I like that. I am really looking forward to hearing more from this extremely talented band in the (hopefully) near future.