Starting three years ago, I began sporadically writing reviews of new and old Christmas albums as I looked to expand my holiday playlist and introduce others to my personal favorites. For each album, I try to “live” with it for a day and listen to it multiple times. The below review is from 2014.
When I got the idea to write Christmas album reviews, this and Mattea’s followup album were the records I was most excited about. Those of you who know Kathy Mattea probably know her as a country western singer, famous for “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses.” And before you roll your eyes and stop reading because you just hate country music I have two things to say to you: First, get off your snobby high horse about country, and second, nothing on this album will have you thinking about big trucks and back roads and moonshine.
Instead, Mattea draws heavily from the deeper roots of Celtic and traditional Appalachian sounds, tying in a little gospel to keep things interesting. The arrangements stir your very soul, and even on the ump-teenth listening, I still get chills. Rich guitar tones and gentle piano support most of the arrangements, at times cradling Mattea’s voice. The gentleness of “There’s a New Kid in Town,” the mysticalness of “Brightest and Best,” the haunting wonder of “Mary Did You Know,” the simplicity of “Emmanuel” and “The Star,” the gospel choir influence of “Somebody Talkin’ About Jesus” — Each song is constructed to match the text brilliantly. It’s like no country album you’ve ever heard before. In fact, it’s like no Christmas album you’ve ever heard before.
And her voice! Mattea’s alto is smooth and rich as molasses. Never once does she overpower the instruments, not that she’s afraid to get big, like in “Brightest and Best” and “Somebody Talkin’ About Jesus.” She’s also right at home painting gentle pictures in the quieter numbers. You can tell instantly her joy at the birth of Christ, as well as her reverence for the Good News she’s sharing with the world.
Both the arrangements and Mattea’s vocal prowess are impeccable by themselves, but really what makes this album shine so bright are the song choices. Go ahead and take a look at the track listing. Do you recognize any of the songs? Didn’t think so. That’s because Mattea has amassed a combination of lesser-known songs and original compositions that point directly to the gospel. The lyrics are deep and rich and moving and full of wonder at the birth of the Son of God. Right from the start in “What a Wonderful Beginning,” Mattea opens with a verse about a “Man named John the Baptist had been heralding the news/ about the coming of a Savior for both the gentiles and the Jews.” Mattea declares the birth of Christ a “wonderful beginning to the greatest story ever told.”
Every track on both of the albums is just like that — full of references to both prophesy and the gospel accounts, full of lyrics that make you stop and consider the birth of Christ from new and fascinating perspectives. “New Kid in Town” lets us watch as a Bethlehem resident points the Magi toward the newborn Christ, unaware of the significance of His birth. “The Star” has us follow Mary and Joseph as they seek a place to sleep, as Mattea notes that “they couldn’t find a room for Him back then/ but He found a place in the hearts of men.” “Nothing But a Child” highlights the shock the wise men must have experienced when they realized they had traveled across the desert to find “nothing but a child,” and yet “nothing but a child/could wash those tears away/or guide a weary world/ into the light of day.” And of course “Mary Did You Know” places us right next to the manger.
And lest we forget the rest of the story, the closing track “Good News” commands us to “Bow your head and on bended knee/ Hear the story once again / the Child grew up to wear a cross/ The Child grew up to pledge a life.”
And lest I forget, “Mary Did You Know” got its start on this album, long before everyone from Kenny Rogers to Cee Lo Green to Pentatonix recorded their version. All of their renditions are garbage compared to hers.
Trust me, the album is on Spotify and you need it in your life right now. Not only is it a collection of some of the most hauntingly beautiful songs, it’s a call to reflect, with a renewed sense of wonder, on “what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” I’ve never before heard, and doubt I will ever hear, such a perfect merging of impeccable musicianship and truly reverent worship. Use it as a respite from an often overwhelming holiday season, and a meditation on the incarnation of Christ.
Rating: 12 Drummers Drumming
High Point of the Album: “Brightest and Best”
