Ever since I purchased the first project from Red Roots at NQC last year, I’ve been anticipating their next one. One day, I pulled out my cell phone to read a Twitter post that said they were in the studio working on a new recording! Inside, I shouted for joy! Soon the day came when I placed my order and received my copy of “Middle Of Nowhere” in the mail…I was hooked. (Still am!) Nika, Natalie and Nicole have released a project that will encourage and challenge fans of all ages.

The lyrics focus on life – and the girls co-wrote some of the songs as well! The words really bring together every aspect of life that we encounter on a day-to-day basis. Peer pressure (Christian Country Girl), stress (Bless This Mess), staying in the will of God (Grow), and not being afraid to move to where the Lord wants you too (Different Piece Of Sky), are all songs that I’m sure you can relate to. Each song has a message that will move your heart if you let it.

This project has a high energy (with only two slow songs) and a great Country beat. The sound was very consistent throughout the CD, though a little different from their Red Roots release. On a personal level, I’ve been listening to this project at least once a day since I received it – it’s that good.

1. Christian Country Girl
Tempo: Fast
Message: This up-tempo song starts the project with lyrics that hopefully describe Christian girls all across this country…ones that stand on principle. The first verse sets the scene in what is most likely a High School hallway, where a guy is talking to a girl. Someone passes by when it all happened and gives us the commentary through the lyrics. The guy asked the girl out to a party, but the girl declined while rolling her eyes and walking away. Though the guy must have felt defeated…there’s a lesson to be learned. The chorus spells out that lesson plain and simple – “You can’t smooth talk a Christian girl!” Her reputation and witness for Christ will not be tarnished. I love that line that says, “She’s looking for a diamond – not some plastic pearl.” Nope, you can’t sweet talk a “Christian Country Girl” out of what she knows to be right! The second verse continues the ideals and standards that Christian girls hold. They do things that unsaved girls won’t, they won’t do things unsaved girls do, and they don’t pick up everything that’s laid before them. These kind of girls know how to use the mind that the Lord gave them to think with. Perhaps the bridge could become the anthem of Believers across America (not just girls, but guys too!) “We ain’t breaking any rules – and we don’t care if that ain’t cool!”
Other Comments: The instrumentation in this song carries a strong Country flavor and is perfect because it’s talking about a “country girl.” The music feels right at home with what is being presently lyrically. I personally love the violin on the intro! (Be sure to take note of it!)

2. Bless This Mess
Tempo: Medium/Fast
Message: Here is a song that we all can relate too! It simply requests the Lord to bless, even amongst the craziness of life. In the first verse we get a glimpse of a rushed morning. Hustling to get dressed and get out the door for work, our character doesn’t even have time to put the coffee on, and in the midst of her rush, almost forgot to say goodbye…The channel to the chorus has a cute play on words, “Jesus loves me this I know, but if I’m late again the boss sure won’t.” The title of the song comes in on the chorus where we hear the plea, “God, bless this mess,” and the issues in the characters life that need touched by God are spoken of – which can very well be applied to our own lives. As the song advises, we should give everything over to the Lord because He knows what is best for us. Then in the second verse, we get another look at life – a taxed night. Too tired to do the dishes, a pile of laundry needs done, and to top it off there isn’t any food in the house. After praying to the Lord, we happen upon the channel that changes slightly to offer the hope we have in Christ, “Jesus loves me this I know, and He’s helping me to let these worries go.”
Other Comments: This one has a Country/Bluesy style to it, and when you hear it, you’ll know what I mean! There is a very cool guitar solo at the end of the second chorus that signals the songs ending, and once again, the girls execute the vocals flawlessly. Great job!

3. Grow
Tempo: Medium
Message: The theme of this song reminds me of a verse in the New Testament that instructs us to “grow in the knowledge of His grace.” By the title, you can guess that this tune is about that very thing too! The first stanza speaks of the world’s standard for a young person now a days – get out and have fun and don’t worry about what you want to “be” until later on. But a child of God does just what the lyrics say – drown them out! The chorus tells us what a Believer bases their life on – whether young or old – and that is the desire to grow where God places you and stay put unless He wants you to go somewhere else. J Again, the second verse continues with another argument from the world to deter a young person’s dreams by giving them a mold to conform too instead of doing what they love – but Believers know that it doesn’t matter what your ambitions are, if they’re from the Lord, He’ll make you succeed. The bridge makes a list of all the ways God has fed, sheltered, watered and shown His grace on those that follow Him. Why turn away from that?
Other Comments: This song is written from a young person’s perspective and is an answer to some of the worldly advice that has been given to them. I’d like to draw attention to the violin and dobro turn around before the bridge – love the instrumentation!

4. The Middle Of Nowhere
Tempo: Slow
Message: If you’ve ever strayed away from the Lord or felt your relationship with Him slip a little, you might find yourself “in the middle of nowhere” spiritually. That’s what this song is about – ending up lost when you take your eyes off Him. Through the first verse we see exactly what it’s like to feel that way: emptiness inside, doubt that your prayers are being heard, and coming to the realization that you can’t pretend everything’s okay, even if you wanted too. The chorus is like a prayer that helps you get back on track. Though you know Christ is with you where ever you go, you still feel lost. You can point back to the time when one look in the wrong direction got you off track, and in the end, you were the one who walked away from Him. But that’s not where it ends – you humbly ask Him to take you back…from the middle of nowhere. In the second verse voices attack your mind and tell you that you went too far to ever go back to Him, so why try? Still you plead to God, “please lead me home.” Finally, the bridge speaks the lyrics we’ve been longing to hear, and are true, “I close my eyes, open up my heart. I feel Your light filling up the dark.”
Other Comments: This is the first slow song we encounter on the project and the one it receives it’s name from. So far, the CD’s tempo has been moving pretty quickly, but I see it very fitting that a song with this kind of spiritual message is the first real slow song. When things slow down, they make you think…and that’s a good thing when you’re talking about your walk with the Lord!

5. Turn Around
Tempo: Fast
Message: There are a lot of hurting people in this world – but every single one of them can find forgiveness in Christ if they would be willing to turn from road they’re traveling down. The first two verses describe some of these people who are just trying to make it through one day at a time: a homeless guy, beaten and left on the side of the road – a single mom who can’t make enough money to pay the bills. Love itself doesn’t have the power to ease the pain in these situations, but…it will never leave them either. The chorus pleads with everyone that has ever thought they don’t matter, or are lost, or are searching for some kind of savior – well, there is a Savior! To get to Him, all you have to do is “turn around.” The words of the second verse just can’t be paraphrased, so here they are! “Some turn to a bottle, some turn to a drug. Some turn to another’s arms, but it seems like it’s never enough. Well, I won’t say, that you will never fail again – but there is grace, to wash away your every sin.” And that of the bridge also – “You don’t have to take a broken road – you can turn around and come back home!”
Other Comments: This is my favorite song from this project! I love how the message of salvation is made so simple – as simple as turning around!

6. Sweet
Tempo: Medium
Message: The compare and contrast in this song will make you smile, yet, underneath it all is a very deep, spirit directed theme. One of the first contrasts we run into is the opening line of the first verse where life is compared to a lollipop – you keep at it “hoping one day ‘you’ll get past the hard part.’” Following that is another illustration using Skittles to depict how life can scatter everywhere like the candies. The lyric goes on to say that our time on this earth may not be coated in the sweetness that these treats are that you can buy at the store – but with the Lord, it is a different kind of sweetness. The chorus says that very thing – with the Lord, life is sweet. He takes all the “bitter and sour” and creates a purpose to live for. I like the comparison in the second verse where Bubble Gum is a picture of gossip – something that people chew up and spit out. My favorite cookie, the Oreo, is black and white, kind of life truth! In the bridge the famous Kit-Kat slogan is used to encourage others to take a “break.” Yet, the highlight of the song has to be the last few lines in the bridge where it says, “When you’re walking around with holes in your soul, you’re better off giving up control – cause Jesus is the real Lifesaver!”
Other Comments: Yep, this song is about candy. Who would think that goodies like that can teach us about our life in Christ? This song just proved it can! I personally loved how the name brand candi slogans fit in the song: Skittles “taste the rainbow,” and Kit-Kat’s “give yourself a break” are used masterfully to convey spiritual messages. I have to say I’m impressed…and a little hungry too!

7. Loser
Tempo: Medium
Message: This song is a little tune that lets us know that there are a certain kind of outcasts that aren’t so bad to be. The first verse paints a picture in our minds of a hot summer that causes the heat to wave across the pavement. Sweet iced tea helps in times like those! Yet, for all the things that this world has to offer, the chorus unashamedly proclaims that if the world calls anyone a “loser” for craving time to tell the lost of the only real Treasure, Jesus Christ, they want to be certified in it! The second verses meditates on how the quickly the world is changing and that the simple pleasures of life don’t exist anymore. The second chorus tells us that being a reject isn’t so bad when you have something that you can’t just “buy” with money.
Other Comments: The theme of this song is simple: Jesus said that if we follow Him we’ll be mocked by the world and called losers – these lyrics declare the simple truth that it doesn’t matter when we have Him!

8. Different Piece Of Sky
Tempo: Fast
Message: As life progresses from day to day and year to year, the Lord grows and moves His people to the different areas where He can use them the best – that’s what this song is about: willing to do what He wants us to. The first verse introduces us to a small country town that we know the history of like it’s a piece of cake. Yet, even with the familiar surrounding us, we feel like it’s a different world because we stepped out on faith knowing that God has something bigger in mind for us than a small town. The chorus speaks of change, breaking free, and moving under a “different piece of sky.” We hear the Lord speak and follow His leading because we know He is going to take us somewhere better than where we’re already at. The second verse acknowledges where we were originally placed, our hometown, but with confidence tells the world we will go anywhere to do His work. The last line gives us the idea that moving on is better than an “Oak Tree planted in a flower pot.”
Other Comments: Change is something that we either long for or dread, but this song shows us the joy of moving from place to place in the Lord’s will.

9. God Doesn’t Know
Tempo: Slow
Message: The first verse sets us up for the question you are probably thinking after reading such a title as “God Doesn’t Know.” The ballad begins by establishing the fact that we grow up being taught that God knows everything – the name of each star, because He placed each one, and as time has passed and we grow more in love with Him, we find out that there are a few things that not even God knows. The chorus tells us about some of those things – the Lord doesn’t know a sinner He can’t love, a heart He can’t restore, a helper He can’t use, and most of all, He doesn’t know of a place He can’t run too when His child cries out to Him. Yep, there are some things that God doesn’t know! The second verse is a contrast of the things that the Lord does know about us – our thoughts before we think them, our prayers before we pray them, and the answers to our questions before we even ask them!
Other Comments: What a sweet song! Meditate upon these things!

10. My Kind Of Faith
Tempo: Fast
Message: This fun song talks about the qualities of our faith. In the first stanza, we are told about this “river” that runs inside of us that reaches so deep, nothing in the world can compare to it. This river grounds us, holds us up, protects us – and with angels on every side, not even the Devil can get to us! Then the channel pops the question, “If you’re with me? If you got my kind of faith? Let me hear you – shake up this whole place….” and the chorus takes off with a round of questions to verify if you “have my kind of faith.” The second verse goes on to tell us about this faith we have and what it does. It opens heaven, pays our way, never to be wondering alone again! When we get wearied, it reminds us of what lays ahead…
Other Comments: This is such a fun song. I could see it being a great note to end a concert with!

11. Bonus Track
Other Comments: The bonus track is just a few seconds where a cartoon voice says, “I like it, but I wish they’d turn it down…” LOL

Purchase “Middle Of Nowhere” HERE

Read other Red Roots CD Reviews HERE

I’m in the middle of nowhere
All I did was look away
I know You’ve always been right there
I was the one who walked away
Come find me where I am tonight
Hear my humble prayer…
From the middle of nowhere