Monday, 26 October 2020

Carrie Underwood - My Gift


60 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy My Gift here (Amazon USA)
Stream My Gift here (Spotify)
Learn more about Carrie's season of giving here (external link)

I love an artist who is audacious enough to put out a Christmas album in September.  I know some people bristle at the idea of seasonal songs before Hallowe'en, but when you a promoting a once-a-year album an early release serves two purposes. One, for those (like me) who love Christmas, it is an opportunity to legitimately immerse yourself into new songs that only add to your excitement for the most wonderful time of the year. Two, it gives the album a chance to find its audience after the initial burst of fans buying it in week one. That is clearly the strategy of Ms Carrie Underwood and her first Christmas opus, My Gift. The 11 track album features traditional classics alongside new compositions that will no doubt become your future favourite oldies. Alongside a host of guest stars, Carrie brings the spirit of the season into your home with her trademark emotive vocals and a beautiful accompaniment of talented musicians. 
  • Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee ~ the album's opening track sets to the tone for what is to follow. With a delicate guitar accompaniment, the focus is Carrie's crystalline vocal delivering the words with the awe and reverence they deserve. What comes across most is you sense she has let the majesty of the song encompass here so she never needs to belt it out to make it as emphatic and lasting as she does. A gorgeous start...
  • O Come All Ye Faithful ~ Ms Underwood takes you to church with this refined rendition of the popular carol. There is a gradual crescendo as her voice guides you through the story, with layers being added to the intricate score. It culminates in a rousing song of praise that conjures up images of ornate cathedrals and candle lights on Christmas Eve, while a light snow falls. Now that really is a musical gift...
  • Let There Be Peace ~ the first original composition shines as brightly as the lightest star in the firmament; a gospel-saturated sing-along number with a hand-clap beat and gorgeous organ and piano buffeting the rousing performance.  The words give the listener the hope and optimism for a better tomorrow that we all need in 2020. It truly is uplifting and Carrie (alongside her sumptuous choral guests) is the most persuasive lyrical preacher you could wish to have. Joyful and triumphant!
  • Little Drummer Boy - Christmas is a family affair and indulging Carrie in a duet with her son is the least we can do. It is a traditional take on the standard but often that is all you need - and Isiah is just charming. You can almost feel the pride resonating from the mesmerising drums, whilst the key change is just euphoric. Feels like a throwback to a Christmas episode of the Doris Day show - and I'll take that feeling wherever I can get it!
  • Sweet Baby Jesus ~ sometimes I wonder whether there can be a new way to tell the greatest story ever told, but Carrie manages it ably on this original song. The lyrics tell a story of what it must have been like to be the saviour of mankind, delivered with a tenderness that is almost tangible. Resonant strings add a comforting vibe to an already aural hug of a song - a new standard that will soundtrack the season for years to come.
  • Hallelujah (ft John Legend) ~ fresh from his own Legendary Christmas, John joins Carrie on his self-penned number (with Toby Gad), a celebration of that special day two thousand plus years ago with another plea for kindness and harmony in our troubled world. Talking of harmonies, whilst their individual voices are undeniably glorious, it is when they blend together like honey into hot chocolate that sends the best time of winter shiver down your spine. 
  • O Holy Night ~ if you are going to cover my all time favourite festive hymn, it had better be spectacular. Luckily, Carrie does not disappoint. It is a gradual, slow build which is as it should be, respectful and solemn for the first verses and chorus, then rising to this stunning, celestial wall of sound that just feels heaven sent. I never get tired of hearing different versions of this song and this is instantly up there with the best. 
  • Mary, Did You Know? ~ there is a reflective introspection built within the lyrics to this song that requires the singer not just to melodically recite the words but to really feel every moment of the responsibility placed on a young woman's shoulders. Carrie does a sterling job at absorbing these emotions and it makes the song a thought-provoking few minutes; as if the world outside presses pause just so you can contemplate what you are listening to.
  • Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas ~ there is just a tinge of elegiac melancholy to the guitar accompaniment of this flawless rendition; a sense of poignant pondering as Carrie places all her hopes and dreams into the sincere performance. When she sings "hang a shining star upon the highest bough", she holds the note with such passion that the sadness transfers into a shimmering sense of anticipation and promise. Judy Garland would be thrilled.
  • Away In A Manager ~ it is no surprise that there will be an accompanying TV special to promote the album; songs like this are so evocative and vivid that they tell a visual story with just the words and music. Never overwrought or dramatic, there is just a sense of trust that the timeless, endless words are enough - and Carrie is the perfect raconteur to bring them into your home this season (and beyond).
  • Silent Night ~ it is a fond farewell to the album with one of the most beloved Christmas Carols out there. If O Come All Ye Faithful bought you into the cathedral, this finale sends you on your way with love in your heart and an appreciation for the best day of the year. And then you get to revisit all 11 songs again in the run up to Christmas - and bring them out like old friends each year after this one. Lovely.
Ghosts of Christmas past:
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