Tuesday, 16 November 2021

Rehya Stevens - 'Tis The Season


39 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy-stream 'Tis The Season here (external link)

I love how the most wonderful time of the year can expose me to artists I might not have otherwise heard about. Back in the day, I might have seen a Rehya Stevens CD on the record shelves and given it a chance; nowadays, an artist has to shine through a whole streaming empire of acts to stand out - and on her new Christmas album, 'Tis The Season, Ms Stevens has done just that. There are 8 original songs that showcase her canny insight into a spectrum of human emotions that seem to be just that bit more pronounced as the holiday season rolls around. Alongside these shimmering new creations are 3 classic songs that have new energy breathed into them thanks to Rehya's gorgeous soulful pop vocal. What sparkles most brightly is her clear love of the festive period and it is a sentiment that is contagious. Dive in, luxuriate in the jubilant warmth of her music, then go tell everyone you've ever met about her...

The album opens with the title track, 'Tis The Season, a song so full of merry and bright that Disney couldn't wait to put it in their Noelle movie. The excitement and anticipation of Christmas is ably conveyed by Rehya, with a joyful vocal, fa-la-la backing singers and enough chimes & bells to power Santa's sleigh. Wonderland of Winter continues the happy factor, albeit in a different musical setting. Vivid, descriptive lyrics paint a picture of snowy landscapes and beautifully decorated rooms; meanwhile, a lullaby melody and children's choir makes this feel as magical as the first snowflake. Utterly charming. The Old Red Sleigh has a cheeky, playful country music vibe to it with some lush barber shop quartet style accompaniment that makes this giddy and gleeful. I love how Rehya finds new, exciting ways to tell stories as old as time. The piano in the middle 8 makes this feel cosy and intimate as being tucked up in bed on Christmas Eve.

Marry Me For Christmas is a simmering, romantic mid-tempo ballad that is (as you might have guessed) full of heart felt longing. According to my favourite Christmas film (Love, Actually) it is the time of year when you put your feelings out there so this is the musical representation of that, done with mellifluous grace. Christmas In My Heart slows down a notch for the type of elegant ballad that, far more eloquently than I can ever manage, explains why the holiday is so important and beloved by people. As mesmerising as that flickering candle, it seems to stop time and half the crazy of the world outside, if just for a minute. Christmas Is Coming Soon feels like a long lost classical piece of music that has traversed the passages of time until Rehya was ready to bring it to the masses. It is instantly timeless, effortlessly catchy and so delightful I had to check it hadn't been in my collection for a decade. Something delicious and to die for indeed. 

Surely the refrain of every kid on Christmas Eve - Santa Won't You Hurry is a kick up your heels, click your fingers and grab the one you love pop bop that us Brits love to send up the charts at this time of year. The ear-worm chorus will have you smiling way into the new year. The campaign to have this be the British Christmas number one starts here. Please Come Home is a big, bluesy ballad that Darlene Love would be proud to sing - and Rehya's impassioned vocal is equally as expressive and nuanced. She brings the story of heartbreak and healing to life with such insight that it is every seasonal argument and every seasonal reconciliation wish come to life. The first of the three cover versions is Santa Baby, a song I would shudder at growing up (mainly because my mum would sing it to my dad) but I'm a big boy now and this version is whimsical, seductive girl group magic that takes you back to the halcyon days of pop music. 

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town is an absolute hootenanny of a song, a festive party fiesta that will have you jingle bell rocking along while you throw garlands of tinsel on the tree and pass the egg nog libations to your adult guests. The sassy horn section is a welcome, brassy addition (as are Rehya's ad libs towards the end of the song. Gives it a gorgeous, convivial vibe).  The album then comes to a close with the splendid majesty of  All Through The Night/The Holly And The Ivy. It is a quiet, reflective and reverent finale that blends two peaceful songs into one soothing carol. If 'Tis The Season in its entirety represents the full on experience of Christmas, this last number is the moment you need to contemplate the real meaning behind the big day. And even if you aren't religious, there is something to be said about wanting peace on earth and good will to all men. Now can we have a stage musical based on these songs for 2022 please?! 

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