Mandisa

For a second there, I almost forgot Mandisa was on American Idol! I almost forgot that she forgave Simon Cowell on national television. I almost forgot she was eliminated after making it to the top 9. Almost…but not quite. The album is not that great.

Bottom line is this girl can sing. Her vocal prowess is at its finest on this eclectic and quirky collage of holiday songs. It’s no surprise that this girl was the first new female artist to debut her single at #1 in twenty-seven years. The first song kicks things off with the lively “What Christmas Means to Me” from her previously released Christmas Joy EP of last year. It’s an exultant, polished pop song pumped up by her vocal and a swing-style arrangement, and I admit I caught my foot tapping along to the retro beats. The “Feliz Navidad/Joy To the World Medley” doesn’t fare as well. The attempt at a cool, island rhythm comes across as a little tacky, and I could only think of Barry Manilow’s “Coco Cabana” as it played, seemingly endlessly. It takes what I’m sure was a well-meaning trip into “Joy to the World” in the middle, which left me double checking to make sure the CD hadn’t skipped; it was altogether awkward.

“Christmas Makes Me Cry” left me thankful she found her feet again. Matthew West’s smooth and emotional vocal combined with her lofty pipes still makes this song a winner. Lyrics like “I think of soldiers, across the sea / Sometimes I wonder why it’s them instead of me / For my freedom, they give their lives / And sometimes Christmas makes me cry” will keep this one a classic for awhile.

The middle tracks are somewhat hit-and-miss…mostly miss. The sassy jazz notes of “Silver Bells” are appropriately celebratory without becoming grating, but the very boring arrangement of “Little Drummer Boy” leaves a lot to be desired. I personally wish she had not included her 2007 version of “Oh Holy Night”, because while it is lovely, it feels quite obligatory here. She would have done well to include a more original choice.

The smooth Caribbean beats of “Because of Christmas Day”, first sung by seventies-sensation Evie, are creative and uplifting, and make a very original choice for the album. Her duet with Michael W. Smith, “Christmas Day” is arguably the best holiday duet I have ever heard. Both of them are vocal stalwarts, and here they remind us why. Yet the performance of “Mary’s Little Boy Child” is completely baffling, and its attempt to be a gospel-style anthem comes across as out of place and inept, like an ugly duckling in a sea of more attractive siblings.

Mandisa made television history when she publicly proclaimed the gospel on American Idol. She made history when her single hit number one. But this Christmas album will not become another milestone for the talented singer. Her vocals found a home on some of the tracks, but others were poorly mixed and simply under par for the titanic level of vocal she possesses. Perhaps she needs to focus on finding a better producer. With her next album due out in 2009, I hope she will use the time in between to find tracks that work with her voice…not against it.

Tagged as: It's Christmas, Mandisa

↓ One comment

#1 John Wofford on October 8th, 2008 at 5:23 pm

Once again, your reviews are tough, but honest.

Another winner.

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