CD, $16.98
ISBN 724382517627
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Support your ISBN 724382517641
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For many, Christmas is best appreciated as a time to quietly meditate upon the miraculous birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. While Christmas by Rebecca St. James contains moments where she does just that, the majority of these songs find St. James engaging in uniquely untraditional approaches to standard traditional holiday favorites, without ever compromising the power of their time-proven messages, nor the timeless beauty of their familiar melodies.
St. James, 1997 Dove nominee for "Female Vocalist of the Year" and Grammy nominee for "Best Rock Gospel Album," is one edgy vocalist, and she usually applies her sharply focused voice to high-energy modern rock songs. With a sometimes abrasive voice like hers, Sandi Patty or Twila Paris she ain't; instead, it is this originality which causes her to stand out among the Christian vocal elite.
After the opener, "Sweet Little Jesus Boy," the disc garners the listener's immediate attention with the surprising choice of "Happy Christmas" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
"In Australia (St. James' native land), we used to sing it in our church choir! And you know, we never had a white Christmas in Australia either," says St. James.
She treats this pop classic with the utmost respect, and although her decision to remove the song's anti-war sentiment from its outro makes perfect thematic sense here, it's still difficult for this listener to get used to hearing it sung without that familiar refrain at the end.
The first traditional Christmas hymn to be given the St. James treatment is a slow and meditative "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," which builds into a feverish dance-pop confection when she gets to the "Rejoice, rejoice" refrain. St. James' vocal is a deep yearning on behalf of all mankind for this Savior to come. Imagine U2 covering the song, and you'll have a pretty good idea of how her own take sounds.
If you like that one, you'll probably like many of the other selections on this disc. "O Holy Night" also moves along to a subtle disco beat, as St. James lays down an awestruck vocal over this unorthodox musical track; "What Child Is This" is part waltz, part moody ballad; and "O Come, All Ye Faithful" is built around a slow and stuttering beat, with a lot of big guitars in selected places. And if that's not enough, David Meece's "One Small Child" is given a pseudo-retro-new wave treatment which is not unlike what "Christmas with the Knack" might sound like, if you skinny-tie-wearers can picture that for a moment.
Just when you think this 20-year-old is going to remodel all of your favorite holiday songs into completely different musical statements, along comes the lullaby "Silent Night." Here, the harmonies are a little off center, and there's an insistent guitar line over some busy percussion, but the volume stays on an even keel, and this version would probably be mother-approved for singing little ones to sleep. Both "Jésu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and St. James' own "A Cradle Prayer" will also appeal to those who prefer something closer to by-the-book sounding carols. Each of these is driven by a nice string arrangement, with the latter floating along to a pretty acoustic piano accompaniment.
"Christmas" is a welcome holiday release, and a reminder that it sometimes takes an out-of-the-ordinary approach, such as this one, to bring to our remembrance just how extraordinary our Savior's birth really was.
Dan MacIntosh is a music reviewer in Los Angeles.
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