1. WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
2. HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING (GLORY IN THE HIGHEST)
3. DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH (THE CELEBRATION’S STARTING)
4. JOY TO THE WORLD (YOU ARE MY JOY)
5. O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL (LET US ADORE HIM)
6. SHINING LIGHT
7. O HOLY NIGHT (O NIGHT DIVINE)
8. JOYFUL, JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE (REJOICE REJOICE)
9. A JOYFUL REPRISE
10. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
11. FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE (AS FAMILY WE'LL GO)
Northern Ireland folk/worship band Rend Collective have released their new album, 'Campfire Christmas Volume 1'.
"Christmas is a time of nostalgic family traditions so we wanted to bring you in to some of ours", explains the band. "We love the old hymns and carols of candlelight services too much to do Christmas without them... but that's not to say we haven't re-imagined them a bit! We hope you enjoy our "Rend-itions" of O Holy Night (O Night Divine) on ukulele, Joyful Joyful (Rejoice) for harmonium and string quartet, and, perhaps our favourite of all, the indie/rock'n'roll/gospel hybrid that is our Joy... Read More Northern Ireland folk/worship band Rend Collective have released their new album, 'Campfire Christmas Volume 1'.
"Christmas is a time of nostalgic family traditions so we wanted to bring you in to some of ours", explains the band. "We love the old hymns and carols of candlelight services too much to do Christmas without them... but that's not to say we haven't re-imagined them a bit! We hope you enjoy our "Rend-itions" of O Holy Night (O Night Divine) on ukulele, Joyful Joyful (Rejoice) for harmonium and string quartet, and, perhaps our favourite of all, the indie/rock'n'roll/gospel hybrid that is our Joy to the World (You are My Joy)."
Opening up with the classic We Wish You a Merry Christmas, this acoustic slowed down atmospheric version sounds amazing. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing has a great intro with seasonal Christmas bells - this song really gets you in the mood. Of course as with most of the songs on the album, each song has been given the Rend Collective makeover. This version has a triumphant feel to it that gives a majestic sense of Christmas.
With complimentary shouts of "ding dong, ding dong, ding dong" the Rend version of 'Ding Dong Merrily On High' will leave you with a smile on your face. My favorite track on this album has to be Joy To The World, just for the creative side of it, the Rend Collective gang have again produced a song in a way no other band could.
The simplicity of O Come All Ye Faithful sounds amazing, yet it's not just a simple acoustic version of the song that they could have recorded. The band have again managed to make this song sound jubilant, exactly how it should sound.
One of my fav songs from back in 2001 is Ash's Shining Light, from their amazing album Free All Angels. So to hear Rend Collective do a cover version of this song in the middle of this album is at first a little strange, but also a masterful stroke, as their stripped down version sounds brilliant. I simply love it!
One of the nation's most loved Christmas songs is O Holy Night. Rend start this song with the stunning vocals of Chris and a mandolin, making the song sound magical. Not many singers can pull off a song like this, but Mr Llewellyn does a fantastic job and must be commended.
Two tracks that sit side by side are Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee and A Joyful Reprise. Musically these both sound fantastic and are a real joy to listen and worship to on this album.
Another more mainstream cover is the Rend version of Shakin' Stevens 'Merry Christmas Everyone'. I'm sure at every Christmas party you will end up hearing the original. But if you have control of the CD player, swap it for this Rend Collective version. This foot tapping track is fantastic. "It's the season, love and understanding, Merry Christmas everyone".
As the band hint, this is volume 1, so should we expect volume 2 next year? I hope so if volume 1 is anything to go by. The band have put their own spin on some very well known songs, and really done them justice. If you're looking for foot tapping, stripped down, atmospheric Christmas songs, then grab a copy of this brilliant Christmas album!
Review by Jono Davies
LTTM Rating 5 out of 5 Stars Standout Tracks Joy To The World
Shining Light
Merry Christmas Everyone
Northern Ireland folk/worship band Rend Collective have confirmed that they will release their new album, 'Campfire Christmas Volume 1', next week. "Finally putting the rumours to rest - #ChristmasCampfire is real! Available…
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