 David Phelps has led a storied career. Having been handpicked by legendary songwriter and entrepreneur Bill Gaither to fill the vacancy at tenor for the Gaither Vocal Band, Phelps stunned audience’s night in and out with his soaring range and passionate delivery. A few years ago, citing a desire to broaden his musical horizons and focus on a solo ministry, Phelps left the GVB, following in the footsteps of Michael English. Yet, the fame afforded English at the height of his career has thus evaded the talented Phelps, despite some solid marketing and undeniable talent. To right the ship, Phelps has enlisted the aid of Monroe Jones (Third Day, Jackson Browne) on his latest release, One Wintry Night.
While Phelps’ first Christmas release focused on an orchestral, choir-backed sound, Jones helps to steer the tenor all over the place this time around. Opening with an acapella rendition of “O Come O Come Emmanuel” allows listeners a full taste of the singer’s range while flowing into “The Singer”, which begs for a live rendition with it’s building chorus and hope-filled lyric. Shifting gears, Phelps brings a gospel-styled track in “Hallelujah” and offers up a subdued, relaxing version of Elvis’ classic, “Blue Christmas”.
“Lully, Lullay (with What Child is This?)” finds the artist changing directions again as he trods familiar choral ground while “Away in a Manger (with Sleep Little Baby)” does the same, showcasing emotive strings and a children’s choir. The title track pulls the artist back toward the realm of pop music with a driving beat as “If Everyone Believed” follows suit with a retro feel. “If Christmas Never Came” is a low-key affair while an instrumental “Silent Night”, performed on harmonica simply feels out of place.
Yet, the final four tracks find Phelps finally hitting his stride. By far the most cohesive juncture of the album, Phelps voice shines here. “Hark the Herald” is a juiced up rendition of the classic song that will beg for radio play this holiday season. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” treats listeners to a forties-style acappella jam and “Santa Claus Tonight” closes things up with a pop flavored workout that will leave you breathless. But, it’s the song that is coming to be known as Phelps’ signature that steals the spotlight once again here, “O Holy Night”. The version found here is a cleaner, more controlled performance that some of the artist’s previous recordings yet it is no less magical. With a God-gifted voice, Phelps invokes those time-worn lyrics with passion and remarkable precision.
David Phelps biggest issue here seems to be a lack of focus. As the old adage goes, you can’t be all things to all people. Phelps seems to try a little hard on this release to do just that, sampling from the realms of gospel, traditional, and pop in order to draw fans from many markets. The problem with that is that we’re left with a question of what Phelps sound really is. But while the young artist continues to search out that sound, One Wintry Night, while not being a top ten Christmas pick, will certainly offer a little something for everyone.
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