Peace on Earth (CD - 2008)

With 2008's PEACE ON EARTH, Casting Crowns joins many of its Christian-rock peers in the we-finally-made-a-holiday-album club. In contrast to its regular studio offerings, the Florida-based band generally avoids its guitar-heavy post-grunge sound, instead employing a string section to stirring affect (see the sweepingly orchestral "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day").

The Midas touch continues. There may be an eventual misstep in the best-selling worship group's career -- they always come at some point -- but this surely isn't it. Rather, Peace on Earth is another victorious achievement. It boasts the same mass appeal of the group's three previous studio albums. Few fans of contemporary worship music are strangers to the Casting Crowns sound. Now putting that stamp on a holiday album, lead singer Mark Hall didn't have to reach very far to find a worship theme among the vast Christian holiday songbook. In fact, given Casting Crowns' immense popularity, it seems they could have laid down ten songs at random and probably created another gold record. But give credit to Hall and his impressive supporting cast for handpicking a cohesive set of songs that brings out the worship aspect of the holidays. Highlights include the original version of "While You Were Sleeping," which Hall first penned as a holiday song, and a sensational instrumental arrangement of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" that shows off Melodee DeVevo's sensational violin playing. ~ Jared Johnson minimize