Don't look for the patented sophomore slump on This Mystery, Nichole Nordeman's second studio release, because the bright young songwriter builds on the momentum she established with her pleasing 1998 debut, Wide Eyed. Mystery contains a basketful of midtempo, self-reflective songs, painting the portrait of a young artist struggling with faith. At times the lines of both are blurred, and Nordeman deals with this frankly in tunes such as "Fool for You" and the title track. The moving, contemplative "Small Enough" is one of the release's finest songwriting moments, while the uptempo "Home" also shines brightly. Like her Heaven & Earth colleagues Michelle Tumes and Jennifer Knapp, Nordeman is part of a growing group of female songwriters in contemporary Christian music who have a lot to say and know just how to say it. --Michael Lyttle