(11 December 2004) Up and coming teen pop star Angel has just released a special holiday EP hot on the heels of her Midas Records debut, Believe in Angels.Believe in Me entitled "A Gift from an Angel." This young lady is seemingly everywhere these days and this EP will certainly keep that momentum rolling. As a matter of fact this EP's single, "It All Started With a Child," has already been featured on TM Hit Disc--which you'll recognize as the CD that you hear over the loudspeakers in places like Wal-Mart and Kroger grocery stores. And it is currently impacting radio nationwide.

This EP is very strong for a pop release. As a matter of fact I was a bit taken aback by the superb production quality. I enjoyed Angel's album but this EP shows marked improvement already in my opinion. "It All Started With a Child" is a wonderful pop piece that is reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson's more pop oriented songs as well as country/pop artists like Shania Twain and Faith Hill. It's definitely a pop song but certainly has an undeniable "Nashville" feel. Next up is "Love Is", which is a featured track from Believe in Angels.Believe in Me. It has a powerful pop edge that fits well with the EP's overall feel.

A great rendition of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", with its bluesy swagger and nice guitar work, is also included. In my opinion Angel's voice is strongest in this style. Her voice fits well with the wailing guitar and full guitar rock sound. The EP is rounded out with a fairly traditional version of "Oh Holy Night".

Ever since I first heard Angel's debut album I have felt like she'd be good at "specialty" music. Perhaps better than she is at generic pop. This record certainly proves that and I'm happy to hear her voice really cut loose on these new tracks. Her voice is much stronger than I gave her credit for and I am certainly looking forward to hearing more from her. Despite the fact that this is a mere four songs it's a great set of songs in an age of awkward and overproduced Christmas music.--Mark Fisher