Mr. Heat Miser - This CD has a fair share of weird songs that don’t really have any point. This is probably the biggest pointless song, although it’s kind of fun to listen to. :) The chorus says:
He's Mr. Heat Miser, He’s Mr Snow. He’s Mr. Icicle, He’s Mr. ten below.
Friends call me snow miser, whatever I touch turns to snow in my clutch, I'm too much
That gives you an idea of how strange the lyrics really are. This song was possibly directed toward kids? Another observation about several of the songs, including this one, is that the group talks at the beginning. For example, at the beginning, Ernie says that he wants it to be cold for Christmas, and Tim Duncan says that he wants it to be hot since he’s from the South. It’s kind of like a mini-drama or something. 3 stars
Changed By a Baby Boy - I’ve only heard a 30-second clip of this jazzy clip, so I can’t really comment.
Thank God For Kids - Is it appropriate for Christian singers to sing about Santa Clause? I don’t think it’s wrong necessarily, but I think performers need to be careful and not go overboard with it. The reason I said that here, is because the first verse says:
If it weren’t for kids have you ever thought, there wouldn’t be a Santa Clause.
And in several other Christmas songs EH&SS has sung, they’ve referenced Santa Clause. We hear so much of this from the world, shouldn’t Gospel singers sing about Jesus? It’s not a big deal, just an observation. This is kind of a neat song. Well-written and interesting lyrics. The verses are handled by Doug Anderson, if I’m not mistaken. 4 stars
Every Light That Shines At Christmas - This can be compared to “He’s My Guide,” in some aspects. This is a fun song to listen to, but it’s not as good as some of the other tracks, such as “Marshmallow World.” The guys come in for an “encore” type ending that fades out. 3.5 stars
Redeeming Love - Once again, I’ve only heard a 30-second clip of this song, as well as “All I Want Is You,” “Christmas In Indiana,” and “Changed By a Baby Boy.”
Marshmallow World - This has to be the best song on the CD! Sleigh bells give it the classic Christmas feel, such as was captured a lot in Greater Vision’s “Everything Christmas.” Fast, upbeat percussion adds to the fun. Also this is another “talking” song. (Refer to “Mr. Heat Miser”) 5 stars
Christmas Is Christmas (Wherever You Go) - This song has a special feature at the beginning, much the same as in “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” on EH&SS’s 2011 project with the late George Younce. A woman calls her family on the phone and wishes them a merry Christmas. She apologizes that she won’t be able to be home for the holidays, explaining that she’s in the hospital, and that she just had a baby boy. Next comes “Captain Thomas Smith” and his team in Baghdad, wishing their families back home a happy holidays. There’s also some other people “calling home” throughout the rest of the song. Once again, a kids choir comes in, which I don’t particularly care for. 2.5 stars
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - I don’t really care for this song as much as the others, mainly because it’s accapella. I love music. It harmony is good though, and the group does some neat stuff. 3 stars
If It Doesn’t Snow On Christmas - This is probably the song that talks about Santa the most. The group sings that they’re worried about how Santa will bring the sleigh if it doesn’t snow. They wish he could fly a plane and even offer to loan him their bus. It almost seems as if the writer was trying to put into kids’ minds, doubt about old Saint Nicholas. 3 stars
Silent Night - Ack! Another accapella number. It’s one, or, perhaps even two too many! This one wasn’t as good as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Actually it’s not completely without instrumentation. The strings section comes in lightly near the end. 2 stars
Light A Candle - Light a candle for the old man who sits at the frosty window pane, and the lonely woman, and the children who need more than presents, and the homeless and hungry, and the broken and the forgotten. This song would make sense if it was coming from a Christian point of view. But it seems that it’s coming more from a politically correct, liberal agenda. I guess a more accurate description would be to say that it’s not overtly Christian. God isn’t even mentioned. It sounds like a song you might hear on some movie like The Polar Express or from some secular artist. 4 stars for the song, but it should Christian references
Amen - The chorus is literally the word “amen” over and over again with alternating group members singing something different. You can hear the kids choir in the background again, which isn’t too bad for this particular song. This is a very charismatic song, like what a black choir would sing. 3 stars
Comments:
Every Light That Shines At Christmas is a fairly good project. It has a lot of good songs, although it does have a few negative aspects. It wouldn’t have hurt to ease up a bit on the secular songs. I don’t think Signature Sound will be going rock or country on us anytime soon, but they are a Gospel group, and should probably be singing more Christ-centered music. The best fast song is “Marshmallow World,” and the best slow song is “He Started the Whole World Singing.” I would recommend this CD if you're looking for good Christmas music.
CD Rating: 4 stars
Song Selection: 4.5 stars
Favorite Songs: “He Started the Whole World Singing,” “Marshmallow World,” “Light a Candle,” “Thank God For Kids”
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