Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

This EP consists of three carols done in Planetshakers style, plus an original number. It's a nice touch and does shake up the vocal line, but it also removes a level of singability from them in doing so, which may limit their appeal (odd, when you consider the band's origins). Mind you, I'd rather hear these in Tesco in the run-up to Christmas than the sanitised versions they normally trot out. In two cases, anyway. The exception is "Joy To The World" which in slowing it down removed some of the joyfulness for me (although I did like the reprise of various lines at the end). "Silent Night" has some lovely acoustic guitar work that reflects the lyrics well and "Hark The Herald" is funk with a touch of prog rock keyboards, which I rather liked. The fourth track is a big invitation to celebrate in an '80s style (reminiscent of Curiosity Killed The Cat, Style Council, AWB and Level 42), which didn't really connect with me. An interesting release, but not one I'll be returning to often.

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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