Sunday, 17 November 2019

Chris Mann - Christmas Jukebox EP


38 DAYS (900 HOURS) UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy Christmas Jukebox here (Amazon GB)
Buy Home For Christmas here (Amazon GB)
Read my review of Home For Christmas here
Read my review of Chris' non-seasonal single, Stop Loving You, here (myfizzypop)

I'll confess that Chris Mann's Home For Christmas has become a perennial favourite of mine. In the six years since it was released it has made my Christmas music playlist year after year. And being Brit based, I had to invest in an import of his DVD which captured his PBS festive special - and makes an excellent soundtrack to decorating the house each year. It got me tingling from head to (mistle)toe, therefore, when I heard he was set to release a second EP of seasonal sparkle - the five track Christmas Jukebox. Just as he did on Home For The Holidays, the expressive singer immerses himself in the magic of the most wonderful time of the year; sharing his enthusiasm and anticipation through buoyant grooves and sing-along refrains. It is this approach that makes his sense of wonder and awe utterly contagious - meaning that Christmas Jukebox will no doubt be an indelible addition to playlists for many Christmases to come...

Happy Holidays is a twinkling open number which instantly immerses the listener into a melodic winter wonderland. It is perhaps the most contemporary groove I've heard Chris sing but it shows how the singer can bend any genre to his delectable vocal. The off-kilter riff which gets your fingers snapping at the opening of the song leads into a fully textured chorus with unison vocals chanting that uplifting titular refrain. There's a laid back vibe to the song which seems to be encouraging you to enjoy the season, espousing all the pressure it can also bring. The tangible glee continues with Christmas Love, a song with resonant piano chords and shimmering jingles. The words are so vivid and sung with such mellifluous charm by Chris that it makes you feel like dancing along with all those near and dear to you. Plus that enticing euphoric chorus seems custom made to both sing-along to and create your own choreography too. Because if performed with a spring in your step, even terrible choreography looks great when you and your loved ones are having as good a time as this song encourages.

More pop radio ready magic happens via a sleek interpretation of Up On The Housetop. It becomes an EDM party whose invitation is far too thrilling to reject. The sheer complexity of the arrangements and decadent rhythms could overwhelm a lesser singer, but Chris works flawlessly alongside the instrumental (crafted, I believe, by Scott Simons) making it his symbiotic partner in this riveting reinvention. Drink It Up feels like a 60s girl group song traversed the passages of time, got mixed up with a nu-retro vibe of contemporary radio and came out as radiant as this. It gives a giddy little treat to hear Chris' vocals flow seamlessly up and down the octaves whilst a genuinely hope-infused wall of sound glitters like the brightest star in the heavens alongside him. It is nigh on impossible to listen to this song without a huge smile on your face - the perfect mood-boost for when you need a little Christmas. Don't worry that the EP comes to an end - Chris takes you right through to New Years with the chimes of midnight standard Auld Lang Syne. The the song features beautifully layered vocals only, with a haunting element of echo like the first frost of the year rolling over the hills. There is a sincerity and reverence to the performance that makes the world outside stop for just a second - giving the listener the chance to reflect on the year past and wish for the best in the one to follow. Just splendid.

**Ghosts of Christmas Past**
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