Monday, 31 October 2022

Backstreet Boys - A Very Backstreet Christmas


55 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy A Very Backstreet Christmas here (external link)

Backstreet's back - and this time the lads are bringing Santa along for the ride! The five piece all-grown-up boy band have dabbled with Christmas music in the past (most notably their 2012 single, It's Christmas Time Again) but fans of the lads (& fans of holiday music) have never had a full album - until now. A Very Backstreet Christmas brings together the guys harmonies and swathes them in a contemporary but suitably wintry musical score. It is great to see a Backstreet twist to all the holiday classics you know and love but there are also three new songs to add to your seasonal song selection - bringing sentiment and festive cheer to life. Grab your favourite hot cocoa, wrap yourself in a snuggy and cuddle up with the one you love because it is about to get Yuletide-tastic up in here...
  • White Christmas ~ the guys get the party started with a charming old-school doo-wop boy band rendition of the Irving Berlin standard. Jingling bells and layered harmonies add to the sincerity of the main vocal leads (that use both lovely tenor and falsetto). It is a carefully choreographed partnership between melody and a capella accompaniment; that extra tip of the hat at the end with a 40s style radio broadcast outro is a real treat...
  • The Christmas Song ~ just two songs in and it is clear that the fivesome are focussing (wisely) on the power of the intricacy of their combined voices; they've delivered some classic pop bops over the year so it is a timely reminder that they always knew how to bring the best out in each other. Chiming bells swathe the lush cadence of the singing and you are soon lulled into a winter wonderland you won't want to leave.
  • Winter Wonderland ~ talking of which, the fellas pick up the pace on this playful romp. It is finger clicking, toe-tapping fun with the smooth backing vocals so cool you can almost see the cold from the breath. The "ooh-aah" conjure up images of snowy landscapes with the wind whipping past you as you bundle up on your merry way. Oh to have such a zippy two minute soundtrack for such expeditions.
  • Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas ~ it is time to meet me in st louis as BSB serenade you with their own interpretation of the Judy Garland classic. While there is more instrumentation than experienced so far across the album (including a lilting, warming piano), it is never at the expenses of those complex vocal arrangements. The soaring solo of "hang a shining star on the highest bough" is the icing on this already delicious Christmas cake.
  • Last Christmas ~ there have been so many covers of the Wham! enduring holiday hit over the past 35 years that you can't possibly think there is room for another. BSB prove you wrong, reimagining the dulcet original as a shimmering electro-synth groove. Icy finger-click rhythms and a pulsing drum beat underscore their textured voices in the chorus, whilst the solo moments bring out the melancholy reminiscing of the verses. Love that their vocals recreate the instrumental moments of the chorus outro; adds a little something extra to the song. 
  • O Holy Night ~ I'm actually very protective of O Holy Night as it is one of my favourite carols. Tevin Campbell's 1992 version is the barometer by which all future takes must be measured; this certainly holds its own. A reverential piano and deferential vocal bring out the awe of the lyrics while the necessary crescendos are achieved just as well with the emphatic nature of their voices.
  • This Christmas ~ the fifth song to have Christmas in the title is the Donny Hathaway delight that blends R&B with seasonal allure. With a swinging percussive rhythm and addictive bass, the backdrop gives the boys the opportunity to just sing the lyrics with pure joy oozing from each note. I always think artists sound like they have the most fun recording festive LPS & this proves it.
  • Same Old Lang Syne ~ I've long been of the thought that this glorious Dan Fogleberg song just doesn't get the love and respect it deserves; Backstreet Boys tell the story of two lost loves reuniting in a compelling manner - they give the song a melancholy that permeates each note, but there is happiness to be found in the chance meeting (however fleeting). Just a pitch perfect take.
  • Silent Night ~ the slow build burn of Silent Night suits the lads production style for this album perfectly. It starts off piano-solo vocal duet before strings and a choral effect are added to send it soaring into the night sky. Its what you wish every school carol concert would be like whilst transporting you to the opulent cathedrals of England. Beautifully done - all is calm indeed.
  • I'll Be Home For Christmas  ~ the shuffling percussion of I'll Be Home For Christmas makes it feel like a lullaby; a song born of that feeling where you are lost in a moment pondering the vagueries of tomorrow. It is a vivid performance, so much so that you can picture the five sitting on the edge of the stage, tux shirt sleeves rolled up, bow ties undone and singing to thousands of fans yet feeling like it is just for you.
  • Christmas in New York ~ I actually did spend Christmas in New York once and it was chuffing freezing. Wonderful but oh so cold. This first original song will warm the cockles of your heart. It is no surprise this will be the album's main promotional single in the run up to the big day. The mesmerising ballad, complete with elegant strings and graceful piano, lets the five piece take in all the wonders of the city with childlike wonder - the listener is there for every moment mainly because they don't tell you how to feel. You just feel it right alongside with them.
  • Together ~ when you've been together (and in the public eye) for 25 years, you probably need a song to recognise that. While this mid-tempo swayer indicates that the guys are singing about romantic love for the significant others in their lives, the lyrics can be interpreted as an acknowledgement of 25 years of friendship or your own special people that you want to be with as the cold nights draw in and the sparkly trees go up.
  • Happy Days ~ the final track takes us right through to New Year's Eve (with some references to pop bops of the past, including Prince's 1999 and Dolly Parton's Nine to Five). It is a frisky rhythm that makes you want to grab the one you love and shimmy. A fine conclusion to A Very Backstreet Christmas - and a track that feels like it demands and deserves a plethora of festive remixes. 
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