I never pictured myself being moved to worship by a Christmas carol such as “Joy To The World” (as much as I love Christmas carols), but the David Crowder Band are in the business of exceeding expectations. Their take on that carol sets the tone for the rest of this eight-song Christmas album. It strikes a perfect balance between paying homage to the original while at the same time bringing originality to the homage.

This set of Christmas songs is imbued with a real sense of worship, and it’s wonderful to listen to, whether it’s “The First Noel” reaching a gorgeous Sigur Ros-like crescendo, or the smile-inducing bluegrass cover of “Angels We Have Heard on High.”

I’m straining for gnats here, but if there’s a criticism to be had, it’s that the David Crowder Band could seem precociously artsy to some. I liked the segue into Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” at the end of “O Holy Night,” but I can see how some might find it a bit pretentious. They’d be a scrooge, though, because Oh For Joy is creative, heart-warming and worshipful. Much more than you’d usually expect from a Christmas album, really.

Four and a half stars out of five