Reviewed by Grace Curtis

It is refreshing to have an album of new Christmas songs rather than yet another exercise in recycling over familiar carols. There is variety throughout the 11 tracks produced by the always reliable Andy Hasant at his Rustington-based studio and featuring well known British singers like Quinten Delport, Rob Newey and Simon Parkin. Some tracks like "Glory To God" have a distinct country music feel while others touch on pop, R&B, MOR and rock. Such variety gives 'Epiphany' a slightly disjointed feel and it is sometimes difficult to gauge who precisely the album is aimed at. It feels like the type of album you would have on as background music to church events at this time of year. The advantage of such an album is that it only has to be played for a limited time of the year, leaving less time for listeners to become tired of the repetitive nature of some tracks. The tracks on the album which stand out include "All For Love", a powerful devotional song, with a lead vocalist (either Hannah Silvester of Tiffany Tremain) which, in intonation, is similar to Lex Buckley, which could be used for worship. Some of the tracks you have listen carefully to the lyrics to realise it is a Christmas album as they, thankfully, steer clear of the Christmas album musical clichés. The bonus track, produced by Mark Edwards) is from Jonathan Veira's 'O Holy Night' album was the one that felt most like a Christmas track. With backing from a choir of children and full of seasonal spirit, the album ends with the theme 'to give love is the Christ in Christmas time' and it finishes with a powerful message. This album has its merits but lacks musical coherence.

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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