By Alex Payne

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Nathan Warnes is back with a brief four track foray into the world of Christmas music, reimagining some of the nationÔÇÖs most treasured hymns in an alternative rock context. Titled ÔÇ£With UsÔÇØ, this latest EP is very clearly influenced by other Christian pop-rock acts, such as davidcrowderband and Aaron Shust, although it isnÔÇÖt immediately apparent what differentiates Nathan from them.

Sonically, Nathan evokes some strong Coldplay vibes, especially on his cover of ÔÇ£Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!ÔÇØ, where a guitar and synth driven melody compliments his Chris Martin esque vocals. Muddy mixing is a continued theme throughout all four covers however, and itÔÇÖs a real shame that NathanÔÇÖs voice gets lost behind the instrumentation in most songs climaxes, because it is certainly worthy of being the main attraction. ÔÇ£O Come O Come EmmanuelÔÇØ is a firm contender for the projectÔÇÖs highlight, starring NathanÔÇÖs mournful crooning and some powerful instrumentation, and is perhaps the most natural sounding cover on the album, while remaining faithful to the original. It also features one of the widest sonic pallets on the album, giving prominence to a range of strings and piano which isnÔÇÖt heard as much on the other tracks. Lyrically there is nothing to comment on, but it is worth noting that, for the most part, Nathan has chosen to cover hymns that seem to play to his vocal strengths.

Despite Nathan WarnesÔÇÖ undeniable talent, this EP is held back by a distinct lack of imagination. Simply, reimagined hymns have been overdone to death at this point! Artists such as Sufjan Stevens, who have taken the concept and put their own trademark twists on it, are far more alluring, whereas Nathan has played it safe, sticking to a traditional guitar and vocals combination. Nathan Warnes may be putting Christ back into Christmas with his rock ballads, but as it stands, ÔÇ£With UsÔÇØ seems destined to remain a slightly watered-down amalgamation of its contemporaries, and as such, will disguise the talent put into its creation.