Faith Evans' first Christmas album, appropriately titled
A Faithful Christmas, is very uneven and hastily thrown together. Within the span of 40 minutes,
Evans switches between songs that sound thoroughly modern and songs that attempt to sound as if they were made decades ago, and she covers both secular and religious material, in addition to offering some originals that are spirited but bland. There are a couple strange moves, like a rendition of "O Come All Ye Faithful" with modern production tricks (like those water droplet sounds loved by
R. Kelly and many others), which is a little jarring and very ineffective. Beyond an expected round of favorites covered here (including "Santa Baby," "Merry Christmas Baby," "Christmas Song," and "This Christmas"), a pleasant surprise is a straightforward version of "The Day That Love Began," a song recorded by both
Stevie Wonder (1967) and
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1970). Despite its faults,
Evans' fans will likely enjoy this and rejoice in being able to hear seasonal music from one of their favorite artists. ~ Andy Kellman