12 Days of Christmas Music: Day 12 (Bonus)

Buy Now

With just one album to his credit—two if you want to include his stint as Half Past Forever—it’s somewhat surprising to see Chris Sligh tackling a Christmas project so soon. But then again, releasing a Christmas-themed EP or single digitally through iTunes or Amazon is all the rage these days, even if the music isn’t essential listening.

Besides, anyone who remembers Sligh from his time on American Idol already knows he has a great voice and a knack for song interpretation. In that sense, a Christmas recording makes perfect sense. Sligh tackles “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” as a simple rocker heavy on synth and electric guitar for “O’ Come,” and with his powerful singing at the forefront, it’s a strong arrangement that’s both familiar and new.

Wish I could say the same for “What Child (Greensleeves),” here transformed into a straightforward pop ballad that’s only distinctive for Sligh’s voice and the fact that the song is adjusted to 4/4 time. Similarly, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is performed as jazzy acoustic pop with a 6/8 time signature, but not much else can be said for it.

Read more...

12 Days of Christmas Music: Day 11

Buy Now

I’ve heard more than a few people refer to Big Daddy Weave as MercyMe, Jr. due to their similarities in sound. So consider that MercyMe’s Christmas album was a lot of fun, and arguably even the best of their career due to the musical variety and willingness to try different styles. Does “Junior” follow suit? Sort of, though like most of Big Daddy Weave’s albums, some parts are quite good, but others, not so much.

BDW is always at their best when they let their distinctive musical qualities shine, and the same is true here. They turn “Joy to the World” into a playful Southern stomp with banjo and some saxophone. It’s like a lite version of Dave Matthews Band (or at least O.A.R.), as is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” with guitars and saxophones giving it a dark hue and a touch of jazz. Their arrangement of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is probably the darkest and most ambiguous I’ve ever heard, its tonal center fuzzy until the spirited chorus brings it back into focus—now if only they didn’t tweak the melody of the chorus. And the band’s original “Glory” offers a nice pop shuffle underneath words connecting the truth of the Christmas story to our hearts; the slightly jazzy melody and sax again make it stand out in comparison to the usual AC pop fare.

Read more...