Reviewed by Tim Holden

Wolverhampton veteran Jenks has been bashing out rock music for more years than either of us would care to remember but it does mean that he really has the hang of it and it shows in this collection of four original and six "classic" Christmas songs. The opening instrumental, "In The Bleak Midwinter", with its lead line picked out over a swirling synth backing, leads straight into rousing "O Come O Come Emmanuel". There then follows four original songs covering a variety of styles - including some Dire Straits and Led Zeppelin - before heading back into classic territory with an almost rock and roll "Ding Dong Merrily On High". The album closed with three straight rock versions of "While Shepherds Watched", "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Angels From The Realms Of Glory". Tim's vocals are confident, as is his songwriting on the original numbers, and the production is crisp and organic. It sounds like it was great fun to make and is definitely fun to listen to and makes a wonderful alternative to the traditional choir renditions of these carols.

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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