Warmer
in the Winter a Pleasant Listen Indeed
by
Kristin Battestella
Violinist
Lindsey Stirling's 2017 holiday release Warmer in the Winter uses
surprisingly modern arrangements to bring a fireside medieval
wink, opening the whimsy with the sharp youthful notes of Dance of
the Sugar Plum Fairy. There are
some sophisticated, intense moments amid the edgy ad libs, but
this remains a recognizable welcome and festive rendition before
You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch featuring Sabrina Carpenter.
This is cute – it doesn't seem like an adult song and that fits the
swanky, toe tapping millennial pop. The instrumental orchestration
works almost in duet with the modern vocals, creating groovy rock
that matures the cartoon lyrics. Likewise Stirling's original
Christmas C'mon with Becky G is pleasant and catchy, if a
little too contemporary holiday pop generic. This bubble gum style is
not my favorite, and this sounds like something you can hear any time
of year despite the seasonal phrases. I dare say there was no need
for any guest vocalists on Warmer in the Winter. Shaking
up the instrumentals with voice distracts from the swift
violin and spirited concert magic. I also wish the ominous
medieval seriousness of Carol of the Bells
was longer. The rousing titular chimes invoke a magical sprinkle as
the impressive strings build the familiar crescendos.
The
violin also takes on the voice of Angels We Have Heard on
High, and the longest
track on Warmer in the Winter hooks the listener with its
backing choirs as the heavenly melody hits home the glory. Sometimes
the ad libs away from the traditional notes stray into something
unrecognizable – you momentarily stop and check the track title to
confirm this is still the same song. Thankfully, the aura is so
pleasant regardless, and the big notes come around beautifully.
Although it is the shortest track, I Saw Three Ships is
a lively, festive little jig enticing us to clap along, tap
our toes, and break into some Lord of the Dance if
we knew how. This rendition also segues into some medieval badassery
with a Game of Thrones meets
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” interlude. However, the
medley's so fun its okay. A tune can be reverent and still have a
little fresh winter intensity. It's a pity though that the tracks
aren't titled to reflect when there are a few carols intermixed in
one tune. Let It Snow continues the idyllic charm with the
strings again mirroring the breezy lyrics so listeners can sway or
hum along. The traditional Old World meets modern unusual ritzes up
the orchestration with Big Band styling – showing Stirling's
talented range and instrumentation. A whiff of “Rudolph the Red
Nose Reindeer” peppers the track before a “New York, New York”
topper in the big finish. The titular Warmer in the Winter with
Trombone Shorty is another original with all the merry talk of
cookies, pajamas, and snuggling up. The brass is catchy and the tags
will get stuck in your head. There's nothing wrong with these vocal
tracks – all of them are worthy of plenty holiday air play.
Unfortunately, they aren't the standout tracks of the album, probably
because they try so hard to be, and the violin concertos are just
better at the seasonal spirit than the pop.
The
still resonance of What Child is This is
simply lovely, with each lingering
note invoking its medieval origins. Without lyrics, this can be
“Greensleeves” or the Creche, and the sweeping concert movement
tugs our heartstrings either way. This may be the best of Warmer
in the Winter, as
it encapsulates the
Old World cum new musical technology without being bombastic or over
the top. The instrumental simplicity lets the meaning of the music
speak for itself and that's an amen. Maybe it's surprising to hear
the more recent All I Want for Christmas as an
instrumental – because let's be honest, the Mariah original is a
pretty unbeatable gem. We know the refrains, and the violin again
becomes the voice to which we can sing along as we dance about the
tree. This lively again succeeds better than the Stirling and Co.
Time to Fall in Love featuring Alex Gaskarth. The millennial
delivery immediately dates the song to a generic holiday hip
interchangeable with the other originals despite the different guest
stars. The unique violin rhythms would have better served more of the
edgy instrumental carols, and Warmer in the Winter proves
you can have serious musical reverence and kick it up a notch. The
breezy nostalgia of Jingle Bell Rock updates the mid
century jive for listeners young and old, doing the hip timeless
right with a touch of “The Man with the Bag” before going full
swing with a whiff of “Sing Sing Sing” to the Bell Rock.
Silent
Night is
a worthy finale closing Warmer in the Winter
with backing arias and quiet but no less stirring violin strength
building the candlelit emotion of the season. Of course, as albums
often do these days, different exclusives are available on the Target
deluxe edition including We Three Gentlemen – a refreshed
“We Three Kings” with a hint of “Carol of the Bells” mixing
the gothic mood with more ethnic beats for impressive ancient meets
millennial medley. Likewise O Come Emmanuel harkens the season
with backing octaves and mellow strings holding the big notes. It's
an interesting add on to finish Warmer in the Winter with this
traditional Advent invitation, but this bonus finale is also fitting.
The jolly is over and now the rousing reverence has begun. Despite
some soundalike holiday pop, this fifty minutes flies by with a well
paced mix of something festive for everyone. The chart topping
seasonal pleasantries, merry holiday tunes, and spirited carol
strings make Warmer in the Winter the
perfect soundtrack for one and all to wrap, bake, and trim the tree.
No comments:
Post a Comment