Christmas Worship Done Right
Posted October 30, 2015
By JJFrancesco_NRT, Staff Reviewer
Chris Tomlin is a household name in worship music and already has a successful Christmas album under his belt, so it's no surprise that he'd come up with a sequel. His laid-back and reverent vocal style is a natural fit for a Yuletide atmosphere.
I must admit that a lot of Christian Christmas albums tend to underwhelm me with covers of secular songs I'm frankly bored with. Fortunately Tomlin completely avoids this pet peeve, focusing entirely on the worship side of Christmas. Tomlin excels at adapting classic songs with original touches. One of the originals (drawing heavily from established lyrics) is the opening "He Shall Reign Forever," a breathtaking piano-driven worship offering that sets an appropriate tone for what this album offers.
These laid-back offerings still manage to capture the adoration side of Christmas that often gets lost amidst all the jingle bells and roasting chestnuts. But "It's Christmas" still shows that Tomlin can have a lot of fun while keeping things about the babe.
One of the album highlights, "Noel," features Lauren Daigle. Her vocals almost entirely dominate this song to the point where they could have easily passed it off as her own song. Her delivery of the haunting melodic verses and the explosive chorus are a powerful highlight of the album and definitely can get one in the Christmas spirit.
Closing Thoughts:
While the choral vocal backing and overall "Christmas worship service" feel may limit the bulk of this to more contemplative moments of Christmastide, it's refreshing to hear some Christmas music that keeps the focus on the Birthday Boy and maintains artistic integrity doing it. If there's ever a time of year when Tomlin's worship style feels appropriately at home, it's in celebrating the birth of our Savior.
Songs to Download Now:
"He Shall Reign Forever" and "Noel" (Get them on iTunes here.)
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