Sam Nichol Tackles Tired Religious Tradition on “All Is Well” (premiere)

For many, the American church has become a place of tired tradition, broken promises, and hypocrisy. Well aware of this painful experience and perception, Nashville singer-songwriter Sam Nichol took it upon himself to make his independent debut with a concept album retelling the parable of the prodigal child, a runaway who trades her boring existence for a life of excitement and excess before experiencing true redemption and grace.

The project entitled The Prodigal is set to release in December of this year, but Nichol is incrementally releasing a song every two weeks, as the story unfolds over a few months. “All Is Well” serves as the opening track and finds the protagonist in a church service surrounded by lush interpolations of the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul”, but finds the whole production “boring” and misguided as the congregation focuses on “stain-glassed walls and its dark, high ceiling to which they pray”.

Nichol’s raw vocal expression elevates the song’s emotion, building from light acoustic folk stylings to full-blown arena post-rock, stylings that only scratch the surface of what Nichol is capable of as he delves into jazz, blues-rock, and more throughout the album. However, the melancholy simplicity found in “All Is Well” serves as a perfect overture for the upcoming album.