39 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!
Buy A Merry Little Christmas here (Amazon UK)
There is something delightful about Broadway star Megan Hilty. As I learned from her performances on lamented TV show Smash, and also via her live album Live at the Cafe Carlyle, even when something is devastatingly heartbreaking she manages to imbue just a slither of hope and light into the melancholy. That works wonderfully on her exquisitely charming new album, A Merry Little Christmas. The title alone is perfect as, even with the grandiose instrumentals she is accompanied by, she makes it all feel very cosy and intimate, a singalong by the fireplace with family and friends. And her expressive, emotive way of singing is the perfect companion for songs that, like the season, accentuate the giddy highs but also highlight the poignant, wistful moments. Whether the music is jazz tinged, big band or set for the Broadway stage, Megan delivers a stirring vocal that invokes the real spirit of Christmas and leaves you with a glowing tingle inside that will last you right through New Year. It is exactly the sort of Christmas album that provides joyous new music for you to soundtrack this Christmas - and then is the gift that keeps on giving as it awakens the memories you create right now for many years to come.
It all starts off with the seductive interpretation of Jingle Bells. It starts as a slowed down ballad, almost as if Megan is singing absentmindedly as she puts sparkling baubles on her tree. Then a shuffling cymbal prominent percussion joins in, creating a sound that conjures up images of sleighs riding over fresh fallen snow. Playful piano joins in to craft an aura of gleeful mischief. Megan is exuberant in her delivery on the timeless lyrics, giddy with anticipation at what the season has to offer. It is entirely infectious and well placed at the beginning of the album as it gets the listener right on side with wondering what treat she is going to dish up next. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of Year sees Megan take a slightly higher register that makes the song sound more operatic, a more theatrical version that plays well against the vibrant piano riff that accompanies her (said piano also gives a glorious middle 8 instrumental that feels like snow flakes twirling in the winter wind). It makes for a stately, wise version of this ebullient message - Megan passing her knowledge on to a whole new generation or merely sharing with those who have difficulty putting aside their cynicism. It is an infectious sermon that makes you happy and bright with each repeated listen. A moment for reflection is taken on the ruminative A Place Called Home. It is like a seasonal sequel to the eternally heartwarming Second Hand White Baby Grand, full of swirling memories and evocative images. The piano-vocal arrangement really lets the lovely message resonate, whilst Megan's vocal is fueled by the passion of the happy stories she recalls. She's the most gracious of narrators, taking us back to the golden age of 50s Hollywood Musicals, traversing the passages of time to deliver a song that would sound as magical back then as it will in another fifty years.
Santa Baby rightly sees Megan back with the jazz band, an alluring raconteur of this flirtatious yarn. She has a symbiotic relationship with the shoulder shimmying score, working flawlessly with them to ensure she performs this with just the right amount of lascivious teasing. She builds from breathy ingenue to confident woman (via a thrilling key change) as the song develops and is effortlessly brilliant at being both. Who hasn't felt that surge of adrenaline that gives you the boost you need to go full on emphatic? This is the soaring musical equivalent of that moment and it feels just dandy. It is a testament to Megan's talent that she shifts effortlessly between genres and tempos without it feeling jarring to the audience. She's a radiant treat on the White Christmas favourite, Counting My Blessings. I'm very protective of the movie White Christmas but the song is in the best hands here. As I've noted, Megan shines like the brightest star when she is reminiscing and sharing her life experiences. This has a lilting, languorous quality to it, enabled by the soothing sincere nature of the way Megan sings. If you are having a bad day and your mind is still whizzing from it, play this song and it is better than any pill you could find in calming that internal storm. Just serendipitous. An a capella opening highlights the stark winter landscape of Joni Mitchell's River. It is perhaps the most delicate song on the album - lyrics full of pathos and sorrow, yet with a wish fulfillment that often keeps the human spirit going through the difficult times. Megan's voice is achingly mesmerising in every nuanced moment of this song and she keeps the listener in wide eyed attention as they recall their own personal experiences that this song has become a soothing salve for. The almost title track, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is next and well worth the wait. As enticing as an invitation to meet me in St Louis, Megan is cabaret chic as she brings a finger clicking groove to the hopeful refrain. There is a real sense of community to the music, as well as Megan's voice - encouraging this to be a rousing singalong with the more people joining in as they listen at home, the more likely we can make the magic of the message actually happen. Marvelous!
The Christmas Song has been sung by many artists over many years and I'm always comforted to know that people can still find new, insightful ways to share the inherent happiness and optimism the song conveys. Megan sounds positively delighted to be singing such an indelible part of history and does so with irrepressible verve and vitality. The ballad intro exudes a glamour and class before the whimsical piano picks up the tempo and you are twirling around your room to your heart's content. It really does make you want to grab the one you love and shimmy. And if your heart is full of glad tidings then Bless Us All (from my adored Muppets Christmas Carol) will swathe you in an aural hug that sends your spirits soaring. It is a spiritual companion to Count My Blessings and just as graciously sung. I've always thought this was an underappreciated song so it brings a smile to my face to hear it revived in such a reverent, earnest way. And all too soon, the album draws to a close - as Christmas must - with There's Always Tomorrow. Like a modern day Maria Von Trapp channeling Judy Garland, it is a lullaby ending that is possibly the least traditionally seasonal song here but fits into with its predecessors with mellifluous ease. It serves as one final reminder at what a gifted songbird Ms Hilty is - and how this album is a gorgeous companion not just for this Christmas but for all the Christmases that your tomorrows will bring. And if we can keep just a little bit of the spirit of this album in our hearts all year round, then the world may yet prove to be a kinder, better place.
**Ghosts of Christmas Past**
No comments:
Post a Comment