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Phil Wickam: Hallelujah! It’s Christmas
Fare Trade Records, 2024
Worship leader and gifted songwriter Phil Wickham offers up his third full-length seasonal offering Hallelujah! It’s Christmas. This is my favourite new release this season. Although you will find stunning former singles like 2022’s beautiful “Behold (feat. Anne Wilson)” and 2023’s worshipful “Manger Throne,” the remainder of the 15-track collection showcases stunning new recordings of both beloved carols and brand-new compositions. Highlights for me include the high energy lead single “Angels (Glory to God),” the poignant ballad “Shepherd Boy”, a stripped down arrangement of “Holy Forever” the 2024 Dove Award-winning Song of the Year along with the moving “Silent Night, Holy Night” that showcases a lower range in Phil’s voice we have never heard.
CeCe Winans: Joyful, Joyful: A Christmas Album
Fare Trade, 2024
Gospel music icon CeCe Winans has released her third holiday album Joyful, Joyful: A Christmas Album that is a reimagined and expanded version of her 2018 holiday release, Something’s Happening!. Her timeless voice and soulful warmth make this collection of classic holiday favourites and original songs a treasure this season. Produced by Winans’ talented son, Alvin Love III, his symphonic arrangements create timeless recordings of seven classics and five original songs. Standouts found here are infectious opening “Joy to the World”, the gospel choir backed “Angels We Have Heard on High”, the pop infused original “It’s Christmas” and “The Grace of the Father” that sounds like it is straight out of a Broadway musical.
Cochren & Co: The Company Christmas Album
Gotee Records, 2024
Cochren and Co. have just released their first full holiday album, The Company Christmas Album. This new artist is known for hits like “Church (Take Me Back)”, “One Day” and “Running Home”. His powerhouse vocals along with his country pop/southern rock influences provide the perfect backdrop for one of the best new Christmas albums of the year as heard on originals “Ribbons and Bows”, “Christmas (What the World Needs)” and “(Hope is) Here to Stay”. But my favourite tracks found here are his original piano backed love song with his wife “Christmas With You”, the soulful “That Spirit of Christmas” and the rollicking “(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays”.
Gabby Barrett: Carols and Candlelight
Warner Music, 2024
Warner Music Nashville’s Gabby Barrett releases her first-ever Christmas album, Carols and Candlelight. This 11-song collection includes cherished Christmas carols, time-honoured Advent hymns, and joyous songs of celebration. The album opens with the poignant rendition of the Mark Lowry penned “Mary, Did You Know?” before moving into classics like “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”, “The First Noel” and “O Holy Night”. But the standouts for me were “Go Tell It On The Mountain” with for KING & COUNTRY – an exultant Gospel number nominated for Christmas Recorded Song of the Year at the 55th Annual GMA Dove Awards and Barrett joins forces with her husband Cade Foehner on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” while The Piano Guys join with Gabby on the majestic rendition of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”.
Anthony Evans: The Greatest Gift
Sherman James Productions, 2024
Renowned Gospel Worship artist and producer Anthony Evans has released his second Christmas album “The Greatest Gift” a nine-track album featuring new arrangements of holiday classics and original songs he wrote and produced.
Produced by Evans, Darrel Walls and Max Stark, The Greatest Gift showcases Evan’s incredible vocals on songs like “Joy To The World” and “Mary Did You Know” as well as his original works “My Holiday” and “He is” as a powerful choir backs him.
Kevin was one of the founding members of the Christian acapella group Rhythm & News that he toured North American with from 1988-1995. With the release of their first album, “Get With the Rhythm,” Rhythm and News was introduced to the rest of Canada with their original “funkappella” style. The height of their success came in 1992, when they released their second studio album, “Word 2 Y'all,” which became one of the top selling albums in Canada by a Canadian gospel artist. In 1994, the group temporarily moved to Detroit, MI for a few months to record their 3rd and last album, "Dream Love + Pray" with gospel great Fred Hammond. In 2008 the group was recognized by the Gospel Music Association of Canada with a Lifetime Achievement Award. After his departure from the group in 1995 Kevin continued pursuing his passion for Christian Music by becoming a Music Critic writing for various publications including: BC Christian News, The Light Magazine and Faith Today.
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