Natalie Grant - Believe (reissue)

Reviewed by Nigel Harris

Christmas albums can too easily slide into slushy sentimentality or banal, unimaginative rehashing of secular Christmas favourites. Natalie Grant dips more than a toe into both in this reissue of her 2005 Christmas release, which when originally released charted at number 13 on Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" showcase Natalie's voice without breaking much new ground. Sadly, "Let It Snow" and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" sound like the sort of muzak you hear in supermarkets in December. However the title track lifts the whole album and earns it a good three squares more than most of the rest of the album deserves. With vocals reminiscent of Celine Dion at times Natalie soars and swoops though one of the best new Christmas songs I have heard in years. "What Christmas Means To Me" is an over-the-top Motown pastiche, but the final tracks, especially the medley "Silver Bells/Savior Came For Me/O Holy Night" again lift the standard. If you're looking for something new next Christmas, don't dismiss this album for its weaker tracks; the stronger ones more than compensate.