Various Artists

The genre of gospel music is nearly as old as life itself.  And the wonderful holiday of Christmas and its resulting traditions such as eggnog, gift giving, and, oh yes, those heartwarming carols, has been around for a pretty good while too.  Yet, for whatever reason, the juxtaposition of gospel and Christmas has been a far rarer thing than one would imagine.  Yet, there is still much out there and Integrity Music has stepped forward and showcased a solid slice of gospel-flavored Christmas tunes with Gotta Have Gospel Christmas.  Featuring fifteen tracks from some of the hottest artists performing, this collection is sure to warm up your heart on a cold Christmas night.

Like any variety album, the collection is varied, both in terms of enjoyable songs and style.  But there are plenty of highlights here to be had, like “We Wish You A Timeless Christmas” which features Israel Houghton and CeCe Winans.  With that lineup, who could go wrong, right?  Donnie McClurkin’s “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is a slow jam worship delight as well, with McClurkin’s rich vocals stealing the show again.  Yolanda Adams lends her talents to a jazzy take on “Little Drummer Boy” and Mary Mary bring one of the most refreshing tunes on the record with “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” complete with a cool African styled backdrop.  Good stuff.

Fred Hammond smooth jams his way through a subdued version of “Go Tell It On The Mountain” but Juanita Bynum’s take on “Mary Did You Know” just didn’t work for me.  I guess perhaps I’ve heard the other renditions too much and just can’t separate myself from them yet.  Kirk Franklin and the Family’s “Now Behold the Lamb” is an old school delight but it’s the chameleon-like talents of Mandisa that steal the show on this album.  Her rendition of “O Holy Night” is everything that song deserves and more, smooth, powerful, and goosebump-rendering.  Truthfully, everything after that on the record just pales in comparison.

This is a win-win type of album for everybody.  A solid collection of some of the best gospel artists out there and, for the most part, tried and true songs that we all know and all performed with amazing talent and style.  If you’re looking for something a little different this year, give Gotta Have Gospel Christmas a shot; you’ll be glad you did.

Tagged as: GOTTA HAVE GOSPEL! Christmas

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