Point of Grace

If the cover of Point of Grace’s newest album looks a little different to you…well, you’re not seeing things. The ladies of POG are now a group of three, a stunning change for the quartet that reigned in the world of CCM for nearly a decade a half, brought about by Heather Payne’s departure from the group this past June. Though Payne dropped the foursome to a trio, her absence is hardly noticed on this album, since it is a collection of previously released songs with just a few new ones. I am confused as to why they would re-release a Christmas album since they already have two to their name, and the content is unchanged.

The opening trio is rather a poor choice for the POG ladies. It opens with the “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” rendition from their 2005 holiday release, and goes further downhill by incorporating the swing-style “Jingle Bells” directly after. Song three is, unfortunately, “Winter Wonderland”, and all of them are over-the-top big band arrangements, worsened by the fact that they were already released. Thankfully, the choices are much better after the first three strikes.

“Let There Be Light” is one of the strongest on the whole album, an original song released in 2005: a soaring orchestral arrangement buoyed by guest vocalist John David Webster, and truly great harmonies by the quartet. “Little Town” proves strong as well, providing a glimpse of creativity with a jaunty arrangement of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and pleasant keyboard backing. The vocals are crisp and appropriately joyful, and this is the type of song that steers clear of an overdone mix that dwarfs the abilities of the girls.

Another strong point is the “Emmanuel” medley, this one bearing from the 1995 Christmas offering, which is arranged superbly to highlight the vocals. It almost has a purity that the other tracks do not, with clear, unhindered singing. The album also features the title track “Tennessee Christmas”, made famous by CCM great Amy Grant from her release in 1983, and here it shows off a nice country feel for the Point of Grace girls, lifting the curtain to reveal their ‘other’ side. It is also one of the strongest tracks, and it appears the newer (first hinted at with their smash single “How You Live”) country style merges well with their harmonies.

I would have liked to see their beautiful single “Not That Far from Bethlehem” on this ‘best-of’ collection, and in all honesty, the selections on the CD are scattered and it fails to flow very easily. But all in all, it’s a safe, though not extraordinary, library of holiday favorites, ideal mostly for the listener who does not own POG’s previous Christmas albums.

Tagged as: Point of Grace, Tennessee Christmas: A Holiday Collection

↓ One comment

#1 John Wofford on October 7th, 2008 at 6:20 pm

I hate it when artists recycle old material for new collections, particularly if they throw in “new bonus tracks” to lure buyers. Blegh…

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