56 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!
Buy Glow here (Amazon UK)
The title of the inaugural Christmas album from nu-Country superstar, Brett Eldredge, gives you a pretty significant idea of what to expect from his first seasonal effort. Glow is an uplifting, heartwarming body of work that succeeds because of Brett's engaging vocal style that mixes well with the big-band-fused-with-country arrangements. His love for the most festive time of the year shines through with every single note he sings and his ability to work seamlessly with the lush scores he has crafted ensure that you leave the album with the titular warming glow it promises. In a year that has been full of disaster, death and disappointments, the world needs a little Yuletide spirit and Brett's Glow is just the album to deliver this essential service. Part of the appeal isn't just Brett's ability to make the grandiose instrumentals feel intimate and personal to the listener through his nuanced vocal, it is also the timeless nature of the music. He positions himself as a classic star from the golden age of movies. He tells stories that evoke memories and visuals that are cinematic soundscapes from days gone by. He's the most able narrator, an affable raconteur who has clearly studied these songs and recreated them to provide new insights and unveil new facets from the original lyrics and musics. Glow is a gift that will keep on shining throughout the holiday season - and no doubt for many years to come.
The album opens with Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow. It is the ideal song to introduce you to the style of Glow - Brett conjures up images of rat pack era greatness, as if he is strolling around the live band in his tux, bow tie undone around his open collar as he effortlessly sings with a vibrant enthusiasm the well known song. There is an easy going charm to his vocal that draws the listener in and that big band score is the icing on this already delicious cake. There's also an intriguing playful nature to his voice that lets his personality shine through (notably as the song draws to a close and he declares "let it keep on falling down"). It means he brings a buoyant new spring to the lyrical steps so well worn by many performers before him. And it is that ability that keeps the album's energy and allure full throttle on all ten tracks. For example, on Baby It's Cold Outside (where he is joined by Meghan Trainor), it's a gloriously choreographed vocal seduction that leaves you a little hot under the collar despite the chilly subject matter. While Meghan gives full on Hollywood starlet coquettishness yet as soon as Brett sings "put some records on while I pour" you know that this flirtatious journey will only have one conclusion (mainly because he's so commanding that as he sings those words, it takes full self control not to grab the CD cover and give a good ol' smooch)! Lovely piano throughout the song that ably dances alongside the vocal duo - and gets a little time to shine during the outro of the song. It is these little flourishes that bring each song alive in exciting new ways. This exquisite piano work continues of I'll Be Home For Christmas. On this elegant and languorous production, Brett portrays an elegiac aura of yearning and pathos as he makes promises he knows he may well not be able to keep. This is balanced with an infusion of hope as he describes all the magical elements of the season - and really, isn't that what Christmas is all about? Finding hope in the hopeless? Brett does it beautifully and the song feels as warming as a hot mug of cocoa on a cold winter's night. Perfectly placed after this is The Christmas Song - it feels that Brett did manage to make it home after all and his version of this song is the euphoric ending to this fictitious movie. A shuffling, finger click groove finds him at his smoothest so far - and wonderfully earnest in how he delivers the evergreen lyrics. It really does make you want to grab the one you love and shimmy with grace around the dancefloor. Once again, kudos on the symbiotic, complementary instrumental - the horn really adds some mellifluous magic to the song and accentuates that crescendo out the middle 8, leaving you with a dazzling ending to the number.
The album's title track, Glow, has the difficult task of being an original composition amidst a plethora of songs that are ingrained into the public consciousness. The song succeeds for all the reasons it should - Brett shows a deft understanding of what a contemporary Christmas classic needs to convey; stirring of memories past and soundtrack for Christmas future, engaging melody that wraps around the listener like a blanket, and feels like an old friend coming to visit. The song certainly wears it's influences on it's sleeve but never feels hackneyed or derivative. The song opens with bold horns and effusive percussion, lending itself to a backdrop that sees Mr Eldredge at his most matinee idol-esque yet. He sings the praises of his lover, their beauty enhanced by the magic of the season - and a couple of key changes elevate the song (and Brett's enthusiasm) to giddy proportions. It is instantly the type of song that you want to hit repeat on and listen to all over again. And that is the sign of an enduring hit, to be wheeled out for many Christmases yet to happen. If this were a traditional vinyl release, Glow would have ended side one on a dazzling high, while White Christmas a soothing invitation for the opening of side two. On these more traditional numbers, you absolutely get the sense that Brett in loving the honour of being able to sing the songs that he has immersed himself in throughout his life. It makes it an even more pleasurable listening experience - and White Christmas still sounds illuminous in his capable hands. There is a confidence and assured nature to these performance that never feels cocky or arrogant, merely excited for the opportunities crafting these songs in new ways brings. Winter Wonderland is dripping in evocative saxophone, glimmering tambourine and a leg kick beat that makes the listener want to run into the nearest pile of snow and frolic to their heart's content. There is an almost mischievous twinkle to Brett's vocal on this song that makes it a playful romp - and more of those cheeky ad-libs that bring a sense of who Mr Eldredge is right into the heart of the music. If that is the cheeky chappy side of Brett, then Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas shows the softer side. He's a masterful orator of this song, singing with a weary yet hopeful knowledge that seems to make him wise beyond his years. The strings that gently buffer his vocal are like little shinning nuggets of joy sent from the heavens - it really is a glorious performance that holds you in rapt attention until it draws to the lilting close. Meet me in St Louis indeed...
One of my favourite seasonal songs (of many) is It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. Brett does the song proud - like many of the other songs on this album, he really is at home within the opulent arrangements and uses the instrumental to strengthen his already impressive vocals. Here, he lets trombone take centre stage as if it was a duet with him and the effect is a euphoric head rush of epic proportions. The album then begins its inevitable conclusion with two traditional carols that allow Brett to become more reminiscent and ruminative of the greatest story ever told and how it shapes the most wonderful time of the year. Silent Night is performed with a stately dignity and poise that really lets the music and lyrics speak for themselves; Brett just being the vessel through which the message is delivered. It is that ability as a performer to know when to hold back and being certain that this will actually deliver more that is part of the reason Glow is such an impressive piece of work. Similarly, The First Noel closes the album with startling precision. It begins with an a cappella only introduction and then the orchestral accompaniment is subtly and gradually added. It is a fine way to end - and the quiet nature of this finale just makes you want to go back to the start that much quicker to enjoy the journey all over again. Glow? I'm positively radiant...
Ghosts of Christmas past:
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