Monday, 7 December 2020

Ana Gasteyer - Sugar & Booze


18 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy Sugar & Booze here (external link here)

Imagine getting to this point in my life and not realising that Ana Gasteyer was/is a pretty darn fine singer and performer?! Still, if anything good is to come out of 2020 (Trump not being re-elected; the mileage on my car being way down making insurance cheaper) then it is the joyful discoveries of the hidden talents of the creative community. Her full length album, Sugar & Booze (actually released in 2019), is fully of sassy, witty and heartfelt observations of the holiday season; some are brand new songs and some are her take on glittering classics - all are a treat wrapped in theatrical scores and delivered with panache. As my strait laced Mormon mum said one Christmas when everything got a bit too much, "ah f**k it, I'm having a coffee" (the rebel)! This is the musical equivalent of moments like that, making this one to treasure for many years to come...
  • Sugar & Booze ~ the title track is a rowdy romp of a song that makes you wonder how you ever got through life without it being on constant repeat on your Spotify playlist. Her timeless singing style transports you to a world where she shares a stage with the Marvelous Mrs Maisel and her melodic observations are just as hilarious. Horn drenched accompaniment add to the exuberant naughty but nice charm of the song as do the nod-along-knowingly lyrics. A GEM!
  • Nothing Rhymes With Christmas ~ the winking observation of this song is so glaringly obvious that you can't believe this hasn't been written before now. The elegance of the piano and shuffling percussion works well as a cabaret backdrop to the hugely entertaining yarn Ms Gasteyer sings. Throw in a key change and some meet-cute style romantic yearnings, and it feels like a long lost Doris Day song from some fabulous forgotten musical.
  • The Man With The Bag ~ the first traditional song is a doozy (and shows how Ana's own compositions sit shoulder to shoulder with these luminary classics). She's an accomplished raconteur who works in symbiotic partnership with the jazzy band, conjuring up images of glitzy stages with a black tie bunch of musicians getting their festive groove on alongside Ana's merry delivery.
  • He's Stuck In The Chimney Again ~ a cha-cha slice of realism because, let's face it, good ol' Father Christmas is only one mince pie from being morbidly obese. Piano tinkles like lights around the tree whilst enchanting pipes give this a whimsical vibe that is all too hard to resist. Nothing rhymes with Christmas but the poetic bon-mots in this song are a real hoot.
  • Secret Santa (ft Maya Rudolph) ~ celebrities are just like us! They gab on the phone and travel all over the globe to purchase the perfect Secret Santa gift. Exactly like my life. The ladies make for great duet partners, like a musical version of the TV show Why Woman Kill and just as glitzy and ritzy. Like a modern day Andrews Sisters with a dollop of feisty added in for good measure.
  • I've Got My Love To Keep My Warm ~ a shimmering version of this classic adds in snippets of other festive favourites to get your toes-a-tapping and fingers-clicking. Somehow, in 2020, her delivery of "I can't remember a worse December" sees oddly apt. There is a great call-and-response with a male choir that really takes me back to those great Saturday night Christmas TV specials. Ah nostalgia, my old friend!
  • Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! ~ Ana is really embracing having a cosy up, cuddle down Christmas with this loved up lyrical odes. Sure, let the storm rage (the cold never bothered her anyway) because she has some body heat to warm her, ahem, cockles. This song takes some thrilling twists and turns that will leave you breathless with giddy glee.
  • You're A Mean One Mr Grinch ~ the raspy horns and sparse percussion make this blistering character assassination feel particularly brilliant and brutal. Not only does she make this sound like she's giving him the job appraisal face to face, she embodies Disney villain style vocals with unfettered abandon. It is exhilaratingly fresh and theatrical. One woman show worthy!
  • Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas ~ I am loving the uptempo arrangement of this song; it certainly gives this Yuletide Gay a little pep in his step. It somehow seems to capture all the hope and anticipation the season can bring in one grab-the-one-you-love-and-shimmy style score. You feel that Ana is just having a whale of a time singing this one - and that's contagious.
  • In The Market for a Miracle ~ i AM in the market for a miracle so this is just the song for me. Plus I love a good Hanukah song and this is both catchy and educational.  It may well be the best Jewish musical style song since Julie Andrews sang Drink La Chaim in Thoroughly Modern Millie - and just as ridiculously addictive. Joyful AND triumphant!
  • Blue Black Friday ~ the genius of combining the two emotive colours for the now annual holiday of post-Thanksgiving sales for a shuffling ballad full of sadness and heartache is award-worthy. There is a graceful elegance to the entire song, yet the droll lyrics are certainly worthy of paying attention to. So on the nose that it is a poignant reminder of how life often turns out.
  • Sleigh Ride ~ I may think Sleigh Ride reached perfection when Debbie Gibson covered it for A Very Special Christmas 2 in 1992, but I'm always open up to new interpretations. This is what my mum would call 'a bobby dazzler'. That is, it has a Havana style frisson to the music as invigorating as the titular method of transport. Ana, as always, is a sterling narrator of this tale, bringing it to life with each note.
  • Children Go Where I Send Thee ~ this traditional African-American spiritual song is given loving respect for Ana, who takes you through the cumulative lyrics with a resonant vocal that lingers long after the song finishes. Ravishing piano riffs and that excellent male choir add texture to the mix, leaving you feeling glad from head to (mistle)toe.
  • The Merriest ~ is there any other way to finish this album than with a description of how it has made you feel. And this take on the June Christy classic is one of the reasons the album glitters as brightly as it does. Ana doesn't dictate how you should feel but really lets you feel it alongside those ebullient vocals, meaning you have been a willing participant on this most excellent musical adventure.
**Ghosts of Christmas past**
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