Yule Tidings

This band’s popularity comes mainly from Mark Hall’s bold, poignant songwriting, evidenced here by “While You Were Sleeping,” which compares America to Bethlehem for failing to make room for Jesus. But the rest of the album goes through the motions, setting familiar carols to predictable country-pop adult contemporary.

Best known as the worship leader for Beth Moore’s conferences, Cottrell is capable of both soft crooning and operatic bellows. It’s a good thing, since these ten tracks run the gamut of pop, classical, and jazz, mixing traditional with contemporary, sacred with secular, and originals with covers. An excellent project, reminiscent of many other traditional Christmas albums.

With three classic holiday releases dating back 25 years, Grant’s yuletide repertoire is big enough for a best-of compilation. The focus here is on orchestral pop and adult contemporary country, wisely eschewing the ’80s synth-pop. With four new tracks that measure up to the classics, it’s a delightful collection.

Groves, one of the best singer-songwriters in Christian pop, penned some terrific originals here. But despite the warmth of her sound, this album is a tad dreary—more an album about Christmas than one celebrating it. She also sets too many carols to new melodies; she would have done better sticking to the familiar or offering something wholly new.

The holiday album you would expect from Ortega, focusing primarily on seasonal hymns—some familiar, some less so—with a remake of “Jesus King of Angels” his only original. The gentle acoustic tone is more unadorned than many would expect from a holiday release, but it’s all beautifully soothing and reverent for quiet reflection on the mystery of Christ’s birth.

Russ Breimeier is managing editor of ChristianMusicToday.com

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