Reviewed by Brendan O'Regan

This a tale of two albums - or of two approaches at least. On the plus side there are some beautiful spiritual songs sung with conviction by this Canadian singer and worship leader. This 2014 Christmas album demonstrates that Mills' voice is soft and pleasant with the musical arrangements are fitting and enhancing. The track "Precious Baby" was the first of these that caught my attention, graced as it is by the lovely backing vocals of Grace Williams. Definitely recommended for download! "Huron Carol ('Twas In The Moon Of Wintertime)" is in similar vein, a strikingly unusual Christmas song that repays repeated listening while the Peter, Paul & Mary oldie "Light One Candle" deserves a revival, and the almost dance treatment here works quite well. However, it must be said that some of the songs here are so much holiday fluff, like "It Snowed", "Marshmallow World" and their ilk, drag the whole thing down and it would have been better if these tracks had been omitted to make 'Christmas Miracle' a solid 10-track collection. Production, by Jack Shocklee, is efficient though personally I'd prefer less use of electronics, especially the drum programming.

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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