Casting Crowns' "Peace On Earth": A Review
Posted November 20, 2008
By ChristianManifesto,
by C.E. Moore
The current reigning torchbearers of CCM Casting Crowns have arrived with their first Christmas album in the form of “Peace On Earth.” And, whether I like it or not, it’s going to sell like hotcakes. Why? Name recognition. They’re Casting Crowns and they can do no wrong. They could be singing about the weather and people would buy it. Is the album good, though? Well, it’s not the best Christmas album released this year. Not by far. But, it’s still really good. Casting Crowns didn’t get to where they are because they have no idea what they’re doing.
The album begins with poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day.” It’s a peaceful rendition of the holiday standard and Mark Hall’s knowing arrangement respects the material. “O Come All Ye Faithful,” another traditional is done well, but is nothing particularly memorable. Fans of Casting Crowns are already familiar with “While You Were Sleeping,” but this time around the band offers up the piece in its original Christmas version. I’m not sure what that means, as I’ve only ever heard this song in its non-Christmas version. Either way, all it amounts to is a few added lyrics that are clearly seasonally-minded. “Silent Night” is the best song on the album and Casting Crowns does what it does best on this number. A solid orchestral version of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” closes out the album and it is absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking in its delivery. The strings and piano are absolutely haunting.
There are a few things I have against this album. First, Casting Crowns never seems to make any of these songs truly their own. That may be a sign of respect, but none of the standards or covers really stick out. When I hear David Crowder sing “Feliz Navidad” or Jars of Clay sing “The Little Drummer Boy,” they are instantly recognizable. With the exception of the previously recorded “While You Were Sleeping,” much of the album is indistinguishable from the 100’s of other renditions of the same songs sung over the years. My other complaint is that, again, with the exception of “While You Were Sleeping,” there are no original Christmas pieces written by Hall or the group. Having proven himself as a capable scribe, I’m surprised by this omission.
“Peace On Earth” is a solid effort, but it’s not stellar. People will undoubtedly disagree with my opinion and that is fair. This is definitely for a certain crowd and I freely admit, I might not be it. Either way, what is here is good but had the potential to be so much more than it was.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from The Christian Manifesto. Click here to visit TheChristianManifesto.com today!
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