::ALBUM REVIEW::

Gospel duo Mary Mary has assembled their very first Christmas musical greeting card for the masses - just in time for the holiday season. Erica and Tina Campbell bring in the festive cheer with their longtime producer Warryn Campbell on "A Mary Mary Christmas"; an eleven track project ranging from original compositions to urban-laced arrangements of Christmas classics. Of course, you can see the humor and neat brainstorming that went into the naming of this collection. That alone deserves merit.

The satisfying cuts are pretty obvious. "Still The Lamb" mixes spiritual narratives from Bishop Kenneth Ulmer with passionate, relaxed vocal deliveries from the group. But on the powerful vamp, Mary Mary proclaims the worth and majesty of Jesus Christ as they bursts with excitement stating "he's still Savior, Redeemer, still the Lamb of God". Infectious powerhouse gospel invades the rhythmic swinging "Call Him Jesus". Sounding like a song tucked in the vaults of Ricky Dillard or Dr. Charles G. Hayes' upbeat buckin' numbers, this track is a first for them and allows them to experiment with the sanctified sounds of the church. But while it may be their first stab at this style, they pull it off with great triumph as the band plays into churchy delight. Both cuts are very strong to ever be considered soon-to-be Christmas classics, but they are cooked with a marinade sure to be heard even after the holiday season passes.

The girls deliver a smooth R&B vibe, tightened with sparkling production and harmonies, on "Hark The Herald Angels Sing". Adding additional lyrics to the verse while keeping the original chorus gives the classic some urban backbone. "Carol Of The Bells" gets a Quiet Storm groove, tinseled with a flickering acoustic guitar, and is aided by Joe "Flip" Wilson and Campbell's vast production. Gone away is the classical arrangement - in with the TLC/Destiny's Child musical magic. But "Merry Little Christmas" finds the original arrangement in one piece as Mary Mary delivers a jazzy gospel rendition to the horn and string arrangements obviously created by keyboard patches. While the music here seems a bit pale when compared to other versions of this dear classic, Mary Mary keeps the R&B vocalizing energetic.

Maybe the biggest blunders experienced on "A Mary Mary Christmas" lies in the shortness of most of the tracks. This is not a Nat King Cole/Bing Crosby 1920s record - so we don't expect most of the songs to clock at two minutes. Those expectations are cremated. Some of the odd choice of ideas used in the musical arrangements may be troubling to some. "O Come All Ye Faithful" uses an African-flavored rhythm with horn and string arrangements. While the idea is good, the actual density of the background vocals and the actual musical foundation sound a bit generic. "Tis' The Season" has a dazzling disco effect attached to a sample of the Jackson 5's "ABC". The lyrics appears to be too cutesy and after hearing the chanting of bouncy children in the background, the song sounds too elementary for Mary Mary's proposed audience. "California Christmas" is a creative jump as it delivers a different take to the average Christmas carol. They sing about the warmness of Cali and the sunny brightness they experience on the West Coast during the holidays. But it seems too short and feels undeveloped in places. The remix features an improved cozy Christmas sound mixed with hip-hop tweaks and even an opening rap from Damani.

The album contains its share of highlights and in spots will certainly warm up the joy and mood at Christmas time. But it's a far cry from what Mary Mary is accustomed to. Maybe the idea of delivering a holiday album set the crew on red alert. Of course, it's not that easy piecing together a holiday project since critics, both non-secular and secular, are prone to picking up anything bearing an image of Christmas during the holiday season. But after considering the wealth of genius and creative juice delivered on their previous workouts, "A Mary Mary Christmas" feels average.