So, which side of Sixpence None the Richer did you like?

If you're like most people who have radios, you've probably heard the band's smash hit "Kiss Me" and the follow-up cover of "There She Goes", and maybe another cover that followed that much later, "Don't Dream It's Over". All were pleasant songs that seemed to do well with a mass audience. Maybe you heard the lilting voice of lead singer Leigh Nash and were wooed by the playful subject matter of those songs (OK, so the last of the three was a little heavier, but since it was an 80's cover it carried a bit of nostalgia along with it). If you're a part of that demographic that Sixpence was so aggressively marketed to during their final days, the group being catered to on a greatest hits project that featured more covers and non-album tracks than actual highlights from their albums, then you might like Leigh Nash's solo work. But wait! There are no covers. So you'll have to be willing to accept her thoughts as they are.

Or are you a part of the small, but vocal crowd of "thinking Christians" who liked the band best before their massive exposure, who treasure their copies of This Beautiful Mess and The Fatherless and the Widow, and wish some of the more earthy and world-weary tracks from the band's self-titled project had been able to get their time in the spotlight? You folks are probably fans because of Matt Slocum. He was the main songwriting force behind Sixpence, with some of his most difficult and downtrodden thoughts somehow transformed into intelligent and mature theological musings due to the assistance of Leigh's lovely voice. It was an odd match, and though we didn't get to hear as many of Leigh's own thoughts, she too proved to have some things to say about difficult relationships in songs like "Down and Out of Time" or "Easy to Ignore". Maybe you've missed that side of Sixpence for a while. And because of that, you might not like Leigh Nash's solo work, which finds her in a very romantic and contented place. But wait! There's a little bit of darkness and conflict here. Not much, but the album isn't just pop fluff written to capture the ear of the inattentive listener who just wants a pretty tune and shlocky sentimentality. I know you heard that insipid song that she did for the movie Bounce a few years ago, but that's not what this album is. Well... not mostly, anyway.

So who is Blue on Blue for, anyway? People who were in love with Leigh's girlish voice would probably love it even if she were singing cookbook recipes, so that crowd doesn't need convincing. Those who liked Sixpence as a thought-provoking, versatile band will require a little more persuasion, perhaps. While the album maintains a light, organic touch (thanks to Pierre Marchand, better known as a frequent producer for Sarah MacLachlan) and isn't an overproduced pop diva album by any means, Leigh is sometimes found in somewhat processed surroundings that may turn off fans who want more "Angeltread" and less "Dancing Queen". (I actually loved their cover of "Dancing Queen." Shut up.) Those who expect deep ruminations on the Christian faith may not find much here, either, but I think Sixpence's diversity of subject matter reminded us that there was a spiritual dimension to awkward human relationships. Said relationships are what you'll find here, with the main relationship in question being Leigh's marriage to husband Mark Nash (drummer for the sometimes-retired band PfR, who doesn't contribute any songwriting to this record, but was certainly a wellspring of inspiration for Leigh), going strong at 10 years and counting. As youthful as Leigh may sound, these aren't "I just fell in love and I'm so happy" songs. Many of them may be carefree and happy-go-lucky, but they're the words of a girl who is still in love after 10 years, and who can honestly allude to the fights and struggles that have occurred along the way. It's a mature romantic album. The music might be right up the alley of more savvy Adult Contemporary radio stations, but there are curveballs here and there, and Leigh's pretty good at veering away from stock descriptions and analogies when she wants to.

I can say that I've found myself quite infatuated with this album after taking the time to remind myself that it's not a Sixpence album. It's a great soundtrack for an evening out with my wife, but it's also something that I'll listen to quite a bit on my own when there isn't the need to stick to "wife-friendly" music. Because it feels like a personal slice of Leigh's life and not just a calculated attempt to market a voice to the masses with mindless lyrics, I think it's a keeper. It certainly helps to make feel a little less "blue" on difficult days, for whatever that's worth.

Along the Wall
It's a cold, cold night, are you going to call me
And tell me about how I go on and on about you
Being like you used to be
And how it's all about me...
This lightly programmed, piano pop piece gently steps in, surprisingly filling the album's lead spot with a story of conflict instead of starting with the lovey-dovey stuff. Leigh's dulcet tones describe an invisible wall that has gone up between two lovers, and their attempts to feel their way along it and try to find an opening in order to reconnect. At first she seems contrary, rejecting whatever he says, but as time goes on, she seems to miss the intimacy and long to find that opening. The chorus has lyrics and a melody that are somewhat awkward - I like the notion that there's something to learn from it all, but the line "I see a teacher there for us" seems to break from the metaphor. Also, the chorus ends with the same melody line it started with, which doesn't bring it a sense of "musical" closure, so the song does feel like it loops around a bit and never comes to a conclusion. It's a lovely piece that just needed a little more thought to wrap it up.

Nervous in the Light of Dawn
It's hard to change, and it's hard to move
It takes years for rough to be made smooth
You can use up all of your precious energy
To be tossed like a shell from a hungry sea...
The sound of a duduk - that's a traditional woodwind instrument used in Eastern Europe - calls out across a lonely sea at the opening of this song, its breathy tones immediately creating a striking mood for the listener. Leigh almost blunders right away as the acoustic guitar begins strumming and she sings the hackneyed line "Dreamed I was in the desert without any love", but from there on, the song is 100% golden. There's a certain weariness to her confession here, as she admits to the loneliness felt during an extended conflict - the music does a really good job of sounding romantic but distant all at once. The chorus is sort of a silent prayer said after a night spent alone - "And I wished for affection, and I wished for calm, as I lay there nervous in the light of dawn." It avoids reaching an obvious climax so that the bridge, which finds Leigh slipping into her high range as she surrenders - "I'm so tired...hold me" - can bring us to that high point of emotional relief. I love the interplay between the simple guitar strumming, the piano, and the duduk, which becomes the song's identifying characteristic without being so gimmicky as to distract from the meaning of the words.

My Idea of Heaven
I'd been living in a lonely shell
With no windows to the world
How in God's name did you find
The Lone Star's loneliest girl?
Now we're in the "dreamy love song" mode that is more typical of this album - this tune has a light bounce to it that almost feels like it was transplanted from a lazily optimistic country song. It's the classic "I was lonely and you found me" song, so there isn't much to interpret, and you might even accuse the lyrics of being a little cliche, but there's no doubt when she says that her idea of Heaven is "lying here with you" that this track has "key scene from a romantic comedy" written all over it, and yet you don't mind, because the sound of it isn't "trendy pop", and Leigh sells it with the way she sings it. What's great here is how the light, playful mood combines with the experience of something truly holy as she tastefully describes her lips meeting with her husband's in the dark. God created amorous encounters between a husband and wife to be a beautiful thing, so why not celebrate that? She does it with class, and the song never once feels uncomfortably sexual, so it works. It might strike some as a little insipid, but I think this was a good choice for a single.

Ocean Size Love
I know what I'm doing may be dumb
I know I should not be staring at the sun
But the thought of you leads me to temptation...
As pretentiously silly as the title may sound, this ballad is actually the show-stopper of the record, in my opinion. It starts with a few simple piano chords being sprinkled into a dark sea, and then slowly begins to expand, with strings hovering about like hummingbirds, and the gentle roll of drums subtly propelling the chorus forward. The enormous space between two people is finally being measured here, and Leigh has a "whatever" it takes attitude - she's determined to get a signal, however faint, to her lover across the vast waters. I'm not sure how Leigh's voice manages to be so light and airy, and yet her words carry such dogged determination - again, she sells the sentiments she's expressing, and that makes this the perfect "let's try again" song for a couple on the rocks who wants to give it another go.

Never Finish
You want me all to yourself
Well, you've got me now
I've got to think to myself, where do you end?
And where do you begin?
With a somewhat lazy beat and a teeny bit of guitar jangle, we can tell at this point that there won't be a whole lot of up-tempo tunes on this project. That's OK - Leigh prefers to wow us with the way that she can wrap her voice around a few notes - just listen to the way that the word "forever" sticks out in this song's chorus. Here, two people are trying to figure out what their limits are, how much affection and patience they have for each other, and discovering that learning how to love each other is "the one thing that I'll never finish". It's a more simple approach, but a nice concept - so many people tie the knot and think they've reached the climax of their relationship, and then move on to other pursuits, so it's nice to hear an ongoing, if admittedly imperfect, pact being made here.

Between the Lines
I'm talking to you, not the Wailing Wall
If that's what you do, this link may fall...
The electronic keyboard tones and drum loops that dominate this song's verses make it immediately stand out as less organic than most of the album, but don't count it out - there are some lyrical gems in this one. It's about miscommunication between lovers, and basically Leigh's giving her man a hint - she's an open book, but he's gonna have to learn how to read "between the lines". There's something not said verbally "between 'I love you' and 'I would give you the moon'" that she wants him to pick up on, and I hate to say it, fellas, but this is how a lot of ladies seem to operate, might as well pay attention. There are some nice bits of electric guitar breaking through the cold, clear surface after the song gets going, and the song overall has a good air of mystique to it, as well it should - just 'cause you've married a woman doesn't mean she stops being a bit of a mystery.

More of It
My dreams are getting used to you
I hope you don't get too used to me and my dreaming
'Cause they will fade into brighter days...
Two happier pop songs show up here which aren't bad, but are definitely of lesser quality than the rest of the album. This one's pretty sunny, with its quick acoustic guitar strum - heck, it's the most upbeat thing on the album so far, and I guess we needed the tempo lift for a little while. I like how it doesn't kick off immediately with a gushing, happy melody, choosing to let the verse zigzag a bit before breaking into the sunny chorus that declares about the carefree state of being in love: "A certain devil may care, but I don't; I'm loving it." Cliches about skies and dreams abound here, so approach with caution. The melody and character of it might just be enough to get you to crack a smile.

Angel Tonight
When I'm feeling the tears start to swell up
I look at you and go right ahead and well up
'Cause you put your hand in mine and I'm in love
I'm in heavenly love...
This one's probably the biggest offender in the cliche department - "You're my angel tonight, you make everything alright" is definitely not a sentiment I'd expect to hear from the former voice of a well-read rock band, but then again, even Sixpence had "Tonight" and an inane cover song or ten. This one's the most obvious in the "punchy beat, cheery minor key melody" department, and it's not obnoxious like a Hilary Duff song or anything, maybe more like Michelle Branch's first record. Still, it isn't Leigh's finest three minutes. Whether it's about her husband or her young son, let's hope they appreciated the simple compliment and move on.

Blue
There is a dream that I can't finish
A need that can't fill
All my dreams have been diminished
You're a habit I'm trying to kill...
Interestingly, we go from "Angel Tonight" into the darkest and most rock-inflected song on the record. Not that it's terribly dark, but the guitars and drums pack a little more punch here and the tune is more ominous and melancholy, as she describes a guy whom she wanted so badly to be with, but whose moodiness kind of started to smother her. "To know you is to be blue", she asserts, and it's hard to tell if this is a trouble spot in an otherwise happy marriage, or an attempt to break ties with an old flame. (Could just be a friend, or it could have something to do with Sixpence's breakup. There are a bunch of interpretations.) It's a thoughtful piece that would have fit in well on Divine Discontent, maybe somewhere in between "I've Been Waiting" and "Eyes Wide Open" in terms of its musical mood.

Cloud Nine
Twenty-four hours in a night and day should be plenty
For me to chase your thoughts my way, and let you catch me...
Hmmm, this is the second album in a row I've reviewed with a song by this title. Leigh returns to her happy, playful side here, this time applying a more whimsical melody to a song about being deliriously in love. Specifically, she's talking about how much it thrills her when she can manage to turn the thoughts of this "simple guy" - who is maybe distracted with one too many things on his to-do list - to the idea of some alone time with her. (Quality time is a tough commodity to replace, fellas - I know no matter how much stuff I do with my wife it's like she always hungers for more, and God bless her, she's just wired that way. ) The verse melody has this odd feel to it, like it's tumbling down out of the sky, but then it gets lifted back up into the chorus, which has its own quirky progression, like something Sixpence would have done, but more up-tempo and playful.

Just a Little
Wipe your eyes, you can't have rainbows without rain
In the morning I'll be holding you again
Don't forget our music won't disappear
'Cause there's no end...
The album ends on a lush, brilliantly orchestrated (okay, maybe just brilliantly programmed) piece that ditches the alterna-pop-lite feel of most of the record and concentrates on keyboards, skittering percussion, and the beautiful tones of a clarinet. It's like following The Beatles into a botanical garden. It doesn't hurt that Leigh's pixie voice is as sweet as ever, singing what seems to be a mostly fluff song about love, but then hitting us at the end of her cute chorus with these lines: "Love breaks your heart to teach you to be strong/I die just a little, so I can live just a little bit more." There's a gentle joy to this song - it would seem insipid without those wise thoughts to ground it, but here she successfully ties the romance and the aching separation together into a sweet, creamy finale.

A lot of this is going to sound very saccharine at first to the average listener, especially one coming in with expectations based on previous exposure to Sixpence. I won't lie and say that it's a thoroughly brilliant record, but I do think that various moments on it show touches of brilliant artistry without apologizing for thinking happy thoughts. A lot of good creative work may result from the misery of the artist, but sometimes the lighter side can inspire a thing of worthwhile beauty, and Leigh feels no need to apologize for trying to do that here.

Sadly, Leigh had to drop out of the upcoming tour with Jars of Clay due to undisclosed "family issues" - I pray that whatever those are, she works them out and gets back on the road so that I can see her perform some of these tracks in a more intimate setting, just to hear what they're like without the window-dressing. I think they'll still hold up well. Hopefully the holdup is due to good news, like another pregnancy or something, but we'll see.

ALBUM WORTH:
Along the Wall $1
Nervous in the Light of Dawn $1.50
My Idea of Heaven $1.50
Ocean Size Love $2
Never Finish $1
Between the Lines $1.50
More of It $.50
Angel Tonight $.50
Blue $1.50
Cloud Nine $1
Just a Little $1.50
TOTAL: $13.50

Website: http://www.leighnash.com

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Romancing