59 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!
Buy Damian's This Christmas Time album here (Amazon UK)
You may well know Damian McGinty from his stint on the latter seasons of Glee. That gave the world a glimpse of his singing abilities, and in particular, his stunning performance of Blue Christmas. Whether it was that song or just a love of the season that inspired his first full length album, This Christmas Time, doesn't matter - he's produced a collection of songs that infuse festive standards we all know and love with hints of his Irish music heritage. His rich, resonant tones guide us through classic songs where he gives new insight thanks to performances that demonstrate both his understanding of and love for the source material. He balances this with two new compositions that feel like they are old friends coming back to visit - holding their own against such lofty evergreens. He's promoting the album this December with a tour - sadly, I won't be in any of the cities he is visiting when I'm over in the States, but (based on the album) I highly recommend getting tickets if you can. If he can replicate the magic of the studio recordings in concert format, it guarantees to be a special night...
The album opens with the Motown-esque Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). It is a vibrant, rousing plea that makes for a finger-clicking start to this ten track opus. Damian has an expressive tenor that knows when to power forth ("Baby please come home") and when to hold back for maximum impact ("They're singing deck the halls"). He's accompanied by a rousing score that is saturated with stirring horns, jingling bells and charming backing vocals. It draws the listener into the album straight away with a shoulder shimmying majesty that belies the more melancholy nature of the lyrics. Heck, if being sad at Christmas can sound this good, sign me up for more! He slows the tempo for It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, a glistening mid-tempo jam that allows for a more studied exploration of the lyrics. There are almost a cappella moments as he lists of his Christmas present shopping list that act as a lovely juxtaposition to the shuffling instrumental that dances alongside his voice for the rest of the song. There is something delightfully old Hollywood about the arrangement, Damian the perfect leading man to bring this song to a whole new audience. The crooning outro is rat-pack-at-Christmas gold. He continues this style into Joni Mitchell's elegiac serenade, River. The prominent piano chords sound exquisite next to his voice, a vocal full of wistful regret and poignant reminiscing. The stripped back arrangement feels like a metaphor for the emotions he is singing of, and also the stark landscape Mother Nature brings during the winter months. PS, when he sings "teach my feet to fly", it is mesmerising bliss.
The first of two original compositions is also (sort of) the title track, Will You Dance With Me (This Christmas Time). It is a sprightly, buoyant number that features a percolating, playful keyboard riff, elegant chimes and sweeping strings - all of which come together to underscore his earnest, sincere vocal with a serendipitous grace. His story of wanting to spend the most wonderful time of the year with someone that he loves adds an extra sparkle to the proceedings - and the song feels at home alongside the more well known numbers. Once again, it feels lifted from a Hollywood movie, maybe sung to Doris Day or Audrey Hepburn (and you can almost visualise the dance routine that would go with this scene). Quite lovely - and fits perfectly with the vibe of the other songs. He then tackles the X Factor favourite, Hallelujah. What makes his version work so very well is the innate sadness within his vocal that really accentuates the elegiac nature of the sombre lyrics. I love that he leaves his breathing in the song - it feels so much more heartfelt and organic, and (strangely) a refreshing change to the many contemporary songs that edit this natural part of singing out in the studio. He really lets the song breathe, thanks to the languorous piano and his reverent vocal style. As the mid point of the album, it causes the listener to really reflect on the lyrics before moving onto the next tune. And what a tune it is - who doesn't love the Wham! classic, Last Christmas. He's joined by Anna Claire Sneed - and by turning this oft-heard favourite into a duet provides the listener with a new perspective of the song; two lovers who have both been hurt and clinging to the hope that this year will be happier. The two play well off each other as well as singing sweetly together, with soaring ad libbed backing vocals that reveal the angst and longing in their situation. He's then onto a humble and gracious Silent Night. Like Hallelujah, Damian lets the melody speak for itself and the lyrics shine brightly in their glory. He remains the conduit by which such musical beauty is delivered and it makes for perhaps the most religious and awe-inspiring song on the entire album.
The last three songs of the album begin with the second original creation, Irish Christmas. It is a lyrically evocative number that paints vivid brush strokes of Christmas in Dublin, a beautiful picture for those who have never visited and eliciting memories from those who have experienced such a winter. It feels like the best Christmas single that Westlife or Boyzone never recorded (but should certainly consider in the future should they reunite). That is not to say that Damian doesn't do the song justice - he absolutely does, and the convivial middle 8 feels like an invitation for the world to join in his song. White Christmas flows naturally from this and Damian delivers the song with a deft maturity that reveals an old soul powering his young voice forward. It is a good time to note that the piano and guitar, alongside lovely percussion, have been uniformly excellent across the album - a natural partnership between a singer who understands the value of live instruments over the beeps and bleeps that dominate songs in the charts today. For example, the gentle guitar strumming acts as an able companion on the last song, Happy Xmas (War Is Over). It breathes the song into life before the children's choir joins in, subtly adding texture to the message of a world where love and kindness are the dominant emotions. This Christmas Time, Damian makes you feel like this is a very real possibility and for that you are left with a warm glow of gratitude.
Ghosts of Christmas past:
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