Rebecca St. James

Item: Christmas
Author: David Murray

Christmas

(1997)

Reviewed by David Murray

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Amazon Music Spotify YouTube Music

Label ForeFront RecordsThe LighthouseDecember 1997

alternative rock pop rock worship

Be prepared to bounce into Christmas with the latest offering from Rebecca St. James. Following in the musical footsteps of God, again using producer Tedd T, Christmas brings fresh energy to seven traditional carols, two cover songs, and one original tune written by St. James. Replete with thick orchestrations that are fairly dark at times, Christmas nonetheless comes off fresh and bright. Rather than trying to overwhelm her accompaniment, St. James contrasts the heavy arrangements with a childlike vocal tone quality (though not to the extreme of Julie Miller or Cyndi Lauper).

Nine of the 10 tunes have readily recognizable lyrics, but from the first strains of "Sweet Little Jesus Boy," Christmas is anything but predictable musically. Several songs ("O Come All Ye Faithful," "One Small Child," "O Come Emmanuel") follow the alternative formula used with "God"-a relaxed verse alternating with a pounding, guitar driven chorus. Some arrangements would make great dance tunes with little or no remixing; "O Holy Night" in particular is high NRG. Music theorists will note interestingly re-harmonized chord progressions and peculiar inversions in "What Child Is This?" It's doubtful J. S. Bach could have ever imagined "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring" with low-rider bass notes and strings moving in parallel motion. St. James' cover of "One Small Child" is decidedly light-hearted, contrasting the serious mood of the original recording by David Meece.

Any of the alterno-pop arrangements from Christmas would have suited God. Just think of this album as a Christmas-themed extension of the same musical concept. It's nice to hear very common tunes given such a fresh treatment. Rebecca St. James is one of few artists in the Christian industry to make a Christmas recording that is both conceptually cohesive and unique stylistically. Much variation exists, but Christmas somehow manages to hang together as one unified musical entity that defies tradition, while paradoxically extending it at the same time.