Reviewed by Tony Cummings

It says much for Chris' soulful tenor that even on a sentimental ditty like "I'll Be Home For Christmas" (the song first recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943 and later cut by everyone from Amy Grant to Johnny Cash) he can make it sound pretty good. Better is August's voice and piano rendition of "O Holy Night" demonstrating that Frenchmen Adolphe Adam and Placide Coppeau could write a carol which is best heard without theatric embelishments. I also enjoyed the original tracks "Come Now Our King" (a lilting, mid-tempo number) and "Jesus Saviour" (which tells the story of Joseph and Mary's journey leading up to the birth of Jesus), both of which were released as singles in 2010 and 2011 respectively. A new original, "Tell Me What You Want For Christmas" is pretty dumb though, a song telling the story of being a mall Santa at Christmastime. Still, an above average Christmas release.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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