Mark Nicholas can certainly not deny the similarity in his and Bruce Springsteen's vocal styles. Mark Nicholas also has similarities to other artists such as Kenny Rogers and Bob Seger. Similarities are what it comes down to, because there are original qualities in his vocals that separate him from others that one has to experience to truly appreciate. If one is searching for an artist that writes magnetic lyrics with a story, blended with contagious melodies, Mark Nicholas is the artist. "Scared" starts off as a solo presentation with only Mark Nicholas' singing accompanied by his acoustic guitar. The lead guitar nuances from George Ruch add a comfortable depth to the melody balanced by Dan Grosh's key percussion accents. The chord progression for "Talk About Nothing" has echoes of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," primarily when focus is on the rhythm section. A well-performed rock ballad with emotion-filled lyrics that has elements of classic rock phrases best describes "Talk About Nothing." What the song lacks in originality it more than makes up for with a strong dance groove. On "Standing on the Outside," Nicholas' vocals have a strong similarity to early Kenny Rogers, in the days when Rogers fronted the First Edition. Key accents from the keyboard work of Jesse Dyen provide excellent color, which complements Nicholas' formidable lyrics and vocals. Dyen's fantastic boogie-woogie piano riffs create an excellent foundation for the vocal expansion which Nicholas attains for "Which Way to Go." Simple but extremely effective, the structure of "Which Way to Go" was well thought out. Nicholas adds some nice nuances on the harmonica for "Time That I Go." This creates a true folk roots feel while being expertly blended with some melodic, expressive piano playing. An emotional soulful ending to Mark Nicholas' portion of the album. "She Can't Understand," a hidden track from the album, was written, produced, and performed by Jesse Dyen and was used with permission. It's hard to understand why, but "She Can't Understand" earns an excellent rating for sheer fun. An a cappella piece that has some amazing vocal nuances complimenting Jesse Dyen's lead vocal track, "She Can't Understand" is up-tempo and very infectious. Beware of the virus lurking in the depths of "She Can't Understand" -- one will very easily be smitten by the bug. With 15 tracks on an album, one can not expect all of them to be creative masterpieces. A high percentage of quality songs on an album of this length is an honorable accomplishment for any musician. Mark Nicholas has achieved this goal with an above-average rating. This makes the album worth the attention of one who is interested in rock ballads at their finest. So wait no longer, the search for the album and artist to fulfill dreams is Standing Right Here.
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