December 2008 Reviews Music

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The Dawn of Grace
by Sixpence None The Richer
Provident, October 2008
$12.99

Christmas came early this year when Sixpence None the Richer reunited after almost four years apart. Making up one of the most imaginative acts to come out of Christian music in the last two decades, Leigh Nash and Matt Slocum amicably went their separate ways in 2004. She focused on raising a family and recording a couple of solo projects; he traveled, got married, and developed younger musicians.

Each had thought of reuniting for some time, but only broached the topic with each other late last year. Nash made it official on her blog in January. She recently told CT, "I missed the music we had made together. I missed it the whole time we were apart."

In July, the duo released a 4-song EP that received lukewarm reviews. Songwriter Slocum concurred. "It's definitely not our best work," he said. "It almost felt like getting the rust out. It's kind of hard to come off a long break and just be brilliant."

But now the two have found that old brilliance again—and, fittingly for fans, with a Christmas album. The Dawn of Grace (Nettwerk) is indeed a yuletide gift, with Nash's inimitable, lilting, childlike voice and Slocum's smart compositions and arrangements. A tasteful mix of classics, covers, and originals, Grace is Sixpence nearly at its best—from the glad opening notes of "Angels We Have Heard on High" to a tender rendition of Alfred Burt's "Some Children See Him" as the closer. Other highlights include the Spanish carol "Riu, Riu, Chiu," the traditional "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," Joni Mitchell's bluesy "River," and the original "The Last Christmas," sung from the perspective of an expectant mother: "I feel your heart beating / Inside my own skin / And I think of Mary in Bethlehem / That night in a stable / Our Savior was born / We have so much to be thankful for."

Slocum said, "We thought a Christmas album would be another good way to get back into things. Our sound suits it, and we think it came out fantastic."

They aren't the only ones who think so.

Mark Moring, editor, ChristianityTodayMovies.com

Copyright © 2008 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The Dawn of Grace  is available at ChristianBook.com and other retailers.

Christianity Today also reviewed other 2008 Christmas albums. More music reviews can be found in our music section.

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