Tobymac- Christmas in Diverse City

by Reggie Edwards It may be October but in Tobymac’s Diverse City, it’s already Christmas, as is indicated by the October 11 release of Christmas in Diverse City. When you pick up a  Tobmac album you can expect nothing short of perfection from the legendary DC Talk member-turned solo artist. This one is no different, it’s outstanding. Toby put an interesting spin on the album, one he hasn’t done before. The first six songs are Tobymac and have guest appearances by Owl City Leigh Nash, Jamie Grace and Nirva Ready. Now, the last seven songs are solely by the Diverse City Band. I’m not sure why they did this, but it’s a cool concept. Make the album not all about Tobymac and showcase the talents of the band. I like this idea. Sadly, though, there are maybe two songs that really stand out and made me go wow on the second half of the album. Unlike Tobymac’s portion of the record, which puts a really cool spin on classics like “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” “The First Noel” and “Little Drummer Boy.” I also loved the remix of his 2002 Christmas song, “This Christmas,” that a lot of us had either forgotten about or, let’s be honest, some fans didn’t know about because it was right after Momentum and a lot of Toby’s fans came in around Portable Sounds, or maybe it just seems like it. Nonetheless, the new rendition of the nine-year-old favorite is fresh and I loved it, especially the new verse. I really commend Tobymac for coming out with a Christmas album that isn’t just the same old stuff. He switches it up and puts the classic Tobymac sound on these songs and makes them new. Rating: 8/10 Release Date: October 4, 2011 (Record Label: Forefront/EMI Records)