Curb Records
Release Date: November 10th 2017
Reviewed by: Jonathan Andre
Mallary Hope– Just a Baby (Mary’s Song) – Single (iTunes/Spotify)
Track Listing:
- Just a Baby
- Mary Did You Know
So…another Mallary Hope review, both in one day? Yep. This one is a different EP of sorts, with Mallary delivering to us one originally written Christmas song and one Christmas carol/hymn in a release that makes us ever more anticipated for the Christmas and holiday season fast approaching upon us all. Can you believe that in about a month and a half (one month and 2 weeks to be exact) it’ll be Christmas Day? That’s not too long. And so, the Christmas album releases aren’t too soon right? Mallary offers 2 songs to be affiliated with the Christmas season, and while I myself would’ve preferred more of a 5 song EP instead of 2, what I will say is this- this Christmas offering alongside her debut EP makes her one of music’s best kept secrets (in either the country/CCM music genre) ever since Hollyn in 2015 and Lauren Daigle in 2014!
It can be a little redundant to review a 2 song single/EP. Why not wait until more Christmas songs release? Maybe I am wasting my time a little, especially much of this review could just be a re-hash of my review of Mallary’s first EP (cut and paste the intro and conclusion paragraphs, edit a little and voila…)- but seriously, this ‘review’ of sorts won’t be like that. In fact, I’m not really going to be talking about the songs at all. We all know ‘Mary Did You Know’. If you don’t, just google it, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be familiarized with the title of the song you really know but just don’t know the title of it. Mallary recorded her own arrangement and it’s just as powerful and emotive, encouraging and heartfelt. And then there’s the original song ‘Just a Baby’. Sung from the viewpoint of Mary, mother of Jesus, the song is a reminder that God incarnate started off as a baby, that the man we know as Jesus was in fact born. That His death and resurrection wouldn’t have been if Jesus wasn’t born. So in that way, Christmas is as important to us as Easter-time. ‘Just a Baby’ is a reminder of the enormity of what Jesus did for us- that though during Christmastime He is just a baby, we are timely reminded that Jesus did grow up and do the things we all know Him to accomplish. Christmas is more than just a season of buying gifts and presents, and running around in our busy states. Mallary’s offering of ‘Just a Baby’ can hopefully encourage us to slow down and understand who it is we are celebrating when December rolls around!
There you have it, Mallary Hope delivering to us both her EP and her collection of 2 Christmas songs. And as she reminds us all herself in a recent interview, ‘…I think the most encouraging part is knowing that I’m doing exactly what I was put here to do. And that there’s no pressure because for the first time in my life, I’m letting God be in control. So, if this music just reaches one heart then that’s enough for me. There’s this amazing peace because I know who I am now, and getting to make music is just icing on this already amazing life…’ And it is during this Christmas season where we need to know now more than ever to give up control of events and schedules, of present-buying and organising get-togethers, and allow God to do what He does best- surprise us and give us more than we can ever think of or imagine. Well done Mallary for both ‘Mary Did You Know’ and ‘Just a Baby’. Looking forward to a full-length (or an EP length) Christmas album next year or the year after!
Score: 4.5/5
RIYL: Carrie Underwood, Hillary Scott, Natalie Grant, Avalon, Karyn Williams