Esteemed Catholic singer/songwriter Sarah Kroger has released her first ever Christmas project, an EP titled Light Has Come. We were already blown away by the release of EP’s single, “Silent Night,” and now we’re ready to jump into the remaining three songs of the release, which includes two brand-new songs.
Kroger’s titular track, “Light Has Come,” immediately caught our ears with the beauty of its melody. The song is a wonderful meditation on the birth of Christ that practically demands to be played during a candle-lit Christmas Vigil. It is a religious Christmas anthem that does not shy away from expressly Catholic language, with a joyful outro that features a full chorus.
The second of her brand new additions to the religious Christmas songbook is “Ave (King of Kings),” a much faster paced tune than its predecessor. Kroger begins the song a cappella, with faithful lyrics drawn from Luke, and the song quickly develops into a grand affair suited to an arena-sized Christmas concert. Kroger really shows off her range and vocal strength on this one, as her voice practically soars from the bridge section to the song’s conclusion.
To add to the EP’s religious-themed offerings, the singer included one song from the secular Christmas songbook, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Kroger has injected this well-known holiday hit with jazz, opening the song with a brass fanfare that develops into a gem of a cover.
Kroger’s voice is exceptionally suited to this laid-back jazz style, and she really gets into it with an expressive way of singing each line. We were especially impressed with her jazz phrasing, things like starting a vocal line just before or after the downbeat. This is a very hard technique to accomplish and one that made famous the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.
Light Has Come is out and available for purchase on Kroger’s official website. It is also available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, or just about any streaming service. Be sure to follow Sarah on YouTube to support this thrilling Catholic artist and keep up with all her releases.
