Prime Cuts:  Mary Did You Know, God With Us, Joy to the World

Christmas albums are dangerous affairs.  Artists of some enduring success are expected to record a festive album somewhere down their career path.  And fans just love it; they would ledge tightly to the opportunity to hear their favorite artist sing the yuletide carols. Since there is already a built-in audience, this gives license for lethargy where the artist would sing these traditional songs on auto-pilot. Jeremy Camp has not given in to such a temptation.  Rather he has given these 9 traditional Christmas classics and 1 original his own spin.  Known first and foremost as a worship leader who excels in Christian rock, Camp has topped the Christian charts with worship staples such as "Capture Me," 'Give You Glory," "Walk By Faith" and "There Will be a Day." After 17 number one hits and 7 albums, "Christmas: God with Us" is Camp's first ever festive album.  Rather than treating this project as a nod to traditionalism, he has made this record a rocking worship experience.  However, there are three stumbling moments:  first, secular tracks such as "Let It Snow," "Jungle Bell Rock" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" don't sit quite well with the worshipful approach he brings to the more God-centered pieces.  Second, being a sublime writer himself, one is disappointed that there is only 1 original entry here.  Third, with only 10 cuts and the album clocking in at a tad above the half hour mark, this certainly leaves more to be desired.

Listent to Jeremy Camp "Christmas: God With Us" Preview in the video below.

The cynosure of the album is obviously the new titular track "God With Us."  Written by Brown Bannister, Ben Shive and Jeremy Camp, "God with Us" gets at the heart of the meaning of Christmas without any mealy-mouth doubletalk: God came through Jesus to save.  Backed by some crisply acoustic guitar crunches and the slow stirring of strings, this track finds Camp at his gentler worship best.  Mark Lowry's "Mary Did You Know" gets an anthemic treatment: starting off slowly before exploding into an all out praise to the baby While "Away in a Manger" finds Camp flexing his Bruce Springsteen's rugged and grainy vocals over this 70s-like rock makeover.

As for the propulsive numbers, Camp adopts an amped-up post grunge sound.  "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" gets Camp adding his rocking worshipful stamp with the ad-libs "we bring glory to your name." With some gorgeous bell chimes and heavenly choral backings, "O Little Town of Bethlehem' becomes a newly wrapped layered worship piece. A surprise comes with his reading of "Joy to the World."  Being a jovial piece of joyous proportions, one would expect a bombastic rock treatment.  Rather, Camp gives this a more understated backing with a contemplative slow rock beat adding in the repeated "hallelujahs" making this more a worship ballad than Christmas elevator music.

As for the more secular pieces:  "Jingle Bell Rock" lives up to its title.  With wild piano improvisations and a danceable beat, Camp really knows how to have fun.  "Let It Snow" has a more acoustic feel while "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is homey and sweet.  God With Us: Christmas will certainly be more than just music for fans to listen to while wrapping their gifts.  The God-centered pieces are more worship anthems in praise to Jesus for His Gift of life.  And the more secular ones certainly will get us rejoicing in the spirit of the season.  However, one would wish for a more generous serving of originals and worship pieces.