Tuesday, 23 November 2021

Amanda Shires - For Christmas


32 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy-stream For Christmas here (external link)

Quite how it has taken me this long in my life to discover the talents of Amanda Shires I'll never know, but that is the joy of my love for Christmas music. It opens up a whole world of artists I might not otherwise have been aware of and leads me to a back catalogue of music that will keep my playlists fresh and vibrant until next Christmas rolls around. For those that know Amanda she clearly needs no introduction - for Brits like me, she is a successful singer/songwriter with a wealth of nominations, awards and a Grammy under her belt. For Christmas is her first holiday collection and a right bobby dazzler it is too...
  • Magic Ooooooh (featuring the McCrary Sisters) ~ the album's opening track is a dreamy, descriptive number all about embracing the Christmas magic and keeping it with you all year round (particularly if you are in love). There is real vulnerability in Amanda's vocal, whilst the backing vocals from the McCrary sisters give the song a real timeless quality. Buoyant piano and invigorating guitar add to the crunch, wintry vibe of the song. 
  • A Real Tree This Year ~ the piano solo introduction is pure heaven, conveying a sense of twinkling lights on the song's titular tree. Vivid words all about the magic of a real tree, combined with witty moments like "I'll flock the hell out of you", make this sparkle. Again, the piano adds depth to the score and has some truly intricate and playful instrumental sections that conjure up images of every tree decorating memory you have. Wonderfully done.
  • Let's Get Away (featuring the McCrary Sisters) ~ a plaintive plea to escape the madness of the holiday festivities with a vocal that is drenched with urgency and just a tinge of desperation; as if singing through these emotions will help drain her of the sadder sentiments she is feeling and give her the courage of her convictions. We've all had moments like this so it is comforting to have a song to accompany those times in your life.
  • Home To Me ~ a nice companion piece to the previous song, giving a different perspective to the season. With a vocal that is so tangibly yearning, you don't just get told about the longing for a romantic reunion, you feel every single moment with her. The shuffling percussion is as warm and engaging as a crackling fire, making this a melodic, mellifluous invitation that would be very hard to refuse. 
  • Blame It On The Mistletoe ~ the simmering emotions of the holiday season can make even the most prudish of people feel amorous; Amanda has decided to blame it on the mistletoe and its magical ability to bring two souls together (however temporarily). The lascivious longings are detailed with raw honestly whilst layered vocals and a glorious sing-along chorus add to the shimmering majesty of the song.
  • Slow Falling Snow ~ what I love about this album is how Ms Shires takes the every day of the Yuletide period and manages to find new nuances within the happenings of the holiday. This reflective piece is as mesmerising as the happenstance of the song's title and delivered with an elegiac poignancy. The heartache and loss is palpable and Amanda is in perfect symbiosis with the music that fills in the gaps of her story.
  • What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? ~  the album's first cover version fits well with the track listing so far (and is a testament to the songs before that it blends so exquisitely). There is a flirtatious playfulness to the piano, a pulsing seduction to the percussion. As always, an expressive vocal brings out something new from the time tested lyrics, making it feel like the song was always meant for Amanda to sing.
  • Silent Night ~ leave your expectations at the door because this song defies all of them and gives you something completely different. It is a dark and broody original number that is based loosely on the well known carol that explores the pressures of the holiday season. There is an intensity to the music and vocal that makes this as essential a story as any episode of Succession. An astonishing composition that lingers long after the song finishes.
  • Gone For Christmas (featuring the McCrary Sisters) ~ a down'n'dirty ho-ho-ho down of a song that feels like it could be performed in a dusty bar with funky bass and electrifying guitar adding to the frisson of excitement that envelops you from the first note. There is a convivial party atmosphere to the song, the type you need to sing along to with a bottle of beer in your hand with all your friends and family Christmas-drinking with you. Essential.
  • Wish For You ~ a big power ballad of a song that is never overwrought but knows just how to tug at the heart strings anyway. Infusions of Hammond organ and a gorgeous fiddle solo enhance the genuine warmth and sentiment of the song; the sort of music that helps the crazy of the world stop (even if just for a moment) while you lose yourself in a reverie of memories. Play loud, play often and hope that people in your life (past and present) make the nice list.
  • Always Christmas Round Here (featuring Lawrence Rothman) ~ it has been an emotional rollercoaster of an album and we wouldn't have it any other way. For the big finale, the spirit of the holidays is bought full circle with a song that celebrates the simple pleasures we find each December. There are some lovely ad-libs at the end with Lawrence that leave you smiling from head to (mistle)toe and ready to start For Christmas all over again.
**Ghosts of Christmas Past**
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