Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!

JFH Music Review


Sidewalk Prophets, Merry Christmas To You
CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE

Sidewalk Prophets
Merry Christmas To You



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 12 tracks: 44 minutes, 00 seconds
Street Date: September 24, 2013


Sidewalk Prophets clearly know what they want to communicate with the cover of their first full-length Christmas album, Merry Christmas To You: Fun. With a cartoon image of the band around a Christmas tree, they illustrate the musical direction they want to take, and the album mostly fulfills this desired effect.

Kicking things off with Linus from Peanuts reciting Luke chapter 2 from that classic scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas is a great touch. The song it introduces, "What A Glorious Night," is a pretty good slice of Mumford & Sons style folk rock, complete with the requisite hand claps and banjos. This style of song agrees with the Prophets, and lead singer David Frey's voice sounds great in this context.

Actually, Frey's voice carries a lot of the songs on this album. Second song, the classic "White Christmas," swings on a 50's do-wop groove, while Frey does his best Bing Crosby. Francesca Battistelli slides in next to Frey for a groovy duet, and the two mesh well and do the sentimental Christmas song justice.

"Give Me Christmas" is a little too schmaltzy, and the band comes to the end of its funkiness here. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" fairs better; it's at this point though that the onslaught of songs with the word "Christmas" in the title start to blend together a bit.

"Hey Moon" is a nice treat in the middle of all of this. A slower, more reflective tune, the band shines more on the originals like this than on the obligatory standards. The same goes for "Hope Was Born This Night" and the upbeat "Because It's Christmas." The two carols here, "Silent Night" and "What Child Is This," are both well done, but are fairly straight-laced in their presentation. Perhaps it's time to retire many of the old 20th century Christmas pop tunes (at least new versions of them) and start to write the next great batch.

That said, Sidewalk Prophets did well to emphasize the fun and good times of the holidays on their first Christmas album, and by that measure, a few missteps aside, there is much to make you smile on Merry Christmas To You.

- Review date: 12/4/13, written by Alex "Tincan" Caldwell of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!

 

. Record Label: Fervent Records / Word
. Album length: 12 tracks: 44 minutes, 00 seconds
. Street Date: September 24, 2013
. Buy It: iTunes
. Buy It: Amazon Music (MP3)
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. What A Glorious Night (5:04)
  2. White Christmas (feat. Francesca Battistelli) (3:31)
  3. Give Me Christmas (3:41)
  4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (4:25)
  5. Hey Moon (3:26)
  6. Merry Christmas To You (3:02)
  7. Holly Jolly Christmas (2:26)
  8. What Child Is This (3:20)
  9. That Spirit Of Christmas (4:23)
  10. Silent Night (3:35)
  11. Hope Was Born This Night (3:54)
  12. Because It's Christmas (3:13)

 

Leave a Comment

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!

Search JFH



This Friday, October 17, 2025
ALBUMS
ANTHNY DIARY ENTRY 1 [Provident]
AOH Music BEHOLD (Acoustic Live), Vol. 1 (independent)
Blanca Full Bloom [Curb]
Chris Blue Every Day Is Christmas [Gaither]
Geoff Moore and The Distance Foundations (Re-Release) [Girder]
Geoff Moore and The Distance A Place To Stand (Re-Release) [Girder]
Vince Gill 50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I Had - EP [UMG]
Nate Parrish Make Me A Mountain (independent)
Psallos The New and Better Way: Hymns of Hebrews (independent)
Anne Wilson Stars [Capitol CMG]
Megan Woods The Truth EP [Fair Trade]

SINGLES
Elevation Worship Jesus Be The Name - Single [Provident]
F'rael God's Wheel (ft. TRYBISHOP) - Single [Syntax]
Brandon Lake When A Cowboy Prays (Amazon Music Songline) - Single [Provident]
LEON Undefeated - Single [El Rescate Music]
No Vain Glory UNLEADED - Single [Syntax]
Park 7 The Hope Is On The Way - Single (independent)
Rave Jesus & Gracie Binion Need Your Love - Single [Provident]
REFVGE, Cyfë II & WAY? U P W A R D S ft. Bianca Silver & Josh LeCroy - Single [Syntax]
Rhymes In Harmony & MAYIA My Sister - Single [Syntax]
Rock City Worship Gravestone - Single [Capitol CMG]
Anton Scholl Born To Love You - Single [Near Kingdom]
Nathan Sheridan Don't Lose Hope - Single [WieRok]
SNT. VINCENT Feast of the Saints - Single [Syntax]
Vertical Kings Faith In Stereo - Single [Covenant]
Vic Lucas, Essence Natay & Ashleey Barnes Let it Rain - Single [Syntax]
Zane Vickery All Things New - Single (independent)
Aaron Williams Abide (feat. CAIN) - Single [Integrity]

DVD
Chris Blue Every Day Is Christmas DVD [Gaither]

Next Friday, October 24, 2025
ALBUMS
John Allan untitled EP [Centricity]
Dan Bremnes The Villain - EP [Curb]
Clear Convictions Endure [Resuscitation]
God Behind Bars Music Live From Angola Prison Vol. 1 [Provident]
Fepeste This World Ain't Mine to Change [Velvet Blue]
gio. FINE BY ME [Capitol CMG]
Brandon Lake Amazon Music Songline [Provident]
Tyson Motsenbocker Modern Worries [Tooth & Nail]
Smalltown Poets St. Augustine (independent)
Zahriya Zachary Rediscovery [Bethel]

SINGLES
29:11 Worship, Zion Rempel You Never Fail (feat. Emily Guy) - Single [DREAM]
Joe L Barnes Grief, Joy, Gratitude - Single [Provident]
Chad Cory, Zacardi Cortez My First Love (Remix) - Single [DREAM]
Leanna Crawford Beginning Of Your Grace - Single [Provident]
darthy Juniper Tree - Single [WieRok]
Emerson Day Midnight Hour - Single [Fair Trade]
Good Weather Forecast lows2highs - Single [DREAM]
Grace + Max Rich - Single [WieRok]
Mercy Tribe Music The King is in the Room (feat. Ayiesha Woods) - Single (independent)
Mountains in the Sea You Never Fail (feat. Emily Guy) - Single [DREAM]
Seph Schlueter Already On The Way (feat. Benjamin William Hastings) - Single [Provident]
Tomb Slayer The Christmas Lamb (feat. Khristian Dentley & Sarah Whittemore) - Single [Tomb Slayer]
The Undertaking! All Smiles - Single (independent)

VINYL
Clear Convictions Endure [Resuscitation]


For all release dates, click here!
 

Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase!
Need proofreading and editing help? We've got you covered! Click here to learn more
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images