Marty DeRoche - Christmas Wears A Crown
Christian, Gospel
Illinois, United States
Overall Impression: "Christmas Wears a Crown" is an inspirational holiday release, from Illinois based singer/songwriter/pastor Marty DeRoche. Drawing influences from multiple musical styles, DeRoche delivers a truly gorgeous modern gospel Christmas song that contains hints of pop, country, rock, and even soul music. DeRoche quotes several popular carols in his lyrics as he crafts a lovely narrative describing the events of the very first Christmas, brilliantly performed in his distinctive, heartfelt tenor. He's supported by a rich, vibrant arrangement that features horns, strings, and some lovely gospel style background singers. Marty DeRoche's "Christmas Wears a Crown" should have mass appeal among both religious and secular audiences alike, thanks to its exceptionally engaging composition and performance, as well as its cross genre diversity.
Strongest Point(s): Outstanding production, excellent mix. Nice intro. Incredible arrangement, especially love the horns; the way the strings, winds, and background vox are used really give this track a wonderful soul sound, reminiscent of 70s Philadelphia "Gamble and Huff" style soul. Elegant, yet strikingly "cool." Amazing vocal performance, your voice really soars in its upper register. That Bb you hit on the final note gave me chills. Fantastic lyrical content, the device of using familiar carol lyrics was a brilliant choice. Overall, its an absolutely wonderful track that I firmly believe holds universal allure. Very nice work, by all involved.
Target Audience Appeal: Fans of Contemporary Christian Music, Christmas Music, Gospel, Pop, Traditional Pop, Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Adult Contemporary, Soul, Country, Pop Soul, Pop Country
Artist target suggestions: Chris Tomlin, Toby Mac, Stuart Townend, Lincoln Brewster, Jason Upton, Josh Wilson, Chris Rice, Bill Gaither, David Crowder, David Phelps, Zach Williams, Matt Maher
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About the Reviewer:
Steven Azami is a multi-instrumentalist with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. Both as a touring/session player and as a producer, his career has spanned nearly every genre, from bluegrass to jazz, from rock to reggae. In addition, his work as a music educator has allowed him to cultivate and foster talent among the next generation of musical explorers