Nichole Nordeman’s brand of Christian folk-pop has always had an introspective and slightly melancholy cast to it. No one will mistake Brave (2005) for an exuberant worship album — the yearning, often minor-key songs here inspire rumination as much as unbridled reverence. Producer Jay Joyce lends these tracks a soft-techno sheen, pushing Nichole towards the accessible ground occupied by his previous clients Macy Gray and Patty Griffin. His input is evident on such cuts as the beat-driven “Live,” the high-gliding “Lay It Down” and a nervously funky cover of Bob Dylan’s “Gotta Serve Somebody.” Nordeman’s more familiar piano-centered balladry shines on “Crimson” (a meditation on man’s fall and redemption) and “We Build” (an account of constructing a marriage out of “rubble and ruin”). Lyrically, the most impressive song is “What If,” a reply of unusual honesty and depth to an unbeliever. As with previous releases, Nordeman shows the ability to restate spiritual themes in fresh, sensitive ways. Brave both reasserts her faith and re-establishes her stature among her Christian music peers.