Wednesday, 26 October 2022

Debbie Gibson - Winterlicious


60 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy Debbie's Winterlicious album here (official site)
Catch Debbie on tour for an evening of holiday and hits (official site)

Ever since Debbie Gibson released her now-iconic version of Sleigh Ride (as part of A Very Special Christmas 2 compilation) back in 1992, I've longed for a holiday album from the singer-songwriter. There have been festive nuggets delivered to fans along the way (Take Me Home for Christmas, Silent Night, Christmas Without You & Naughty List) but it was when she sang White Christmas on her Instagram page that my yen for seasonal songs really kicked up a gear. Turns out what was only in my dreams is now a reality and Winterlicious, a 14 track Yuletide odyssey, will hit shelves on October 21st 2022 (30 years and a day after her holiday debut song, the aforementioned Sleigh Ride). Original compositions mixed with classic Christmas songs, this promises to be a winterlicious treat this year and for many years to come...
  • Let It Snow ~ the opening song blends both a theatricality and the vibe of a sumptuous 50s MGM Hollywood movie; mixing sweeping strings with playful piano, the mid-tempo pace lets every word be savoured. Debbie already sounds like she's having a brilliant time, complete with vintage girl-group style backing singers. Gliding into notes & giddy musical twists make this old favourite feel new and exciting. That's the thing about Christmas music - it gives an artist an opportunity to let themselves go because too much is never enough!
  • I Wish Every Day Was Christmas ~ the album's first original composition leans into celebrating the sheer magical joy that the holiday season can bring. With a percolating percussion that's as effusive as those flying reindeer galloping in the sky, there's wistful nostalgia in the lyrics that serves to accentuate the radiance of that spirited chorus. Love the line "why do you come and go/why do you tease me so"; it feels like our duty to keep this song (& the Christmas spirit) alive all year round. 
  • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen ~ if you always wanted to know what your local carol concert would sound like if Debbie Gibson turned up, well now is your chance. What's so stunning about this isn't just Debbie's reverent vocal; it is how the music is an essential part of the narrative - the strings create a dramatic backdrop to the events of the lyrics (like the accelerated heartbeat of the merry gentlemen) whilst percussion conjures up images of camels being ridden to pay tribute to the new saviour. It is seamless tapestry of sound. 
  • Heartbreak Holiday (ft Joey McIntyre) ~ pop pals Deb and Joey reunite for a brand new holiday duet that, in its own way, serves as a sequel to their remake of Lost In Your Eyes. Love doesn't always survive the twists and turns of a relationship, yet the separation feels more pronounced at the most wonderful time. La Gib has always excelled at ballads and Joey is an expressive & emotive partner in this exploration of feelings. A slow burn piano-shuffling drum accompaniment glimmers around the embers of memory in hypnotic fashion. If the two aren't starring in a Christmas movie of the same name this time next year, I'll be most disappointed.
  • The Gift ~ sometimes all you need is Debbie and her piano; that it most prominent on this song, though it does feel like the power of the song conjures up the hushed, gentle string accompaniment and sumptuous backing vocals that know just when to send the right words soaring. The middle 8 is as worthy as an Oscar winning cinematic score, with Debbie's soprano notes dancing like a snowflake on the breeze. It is an aural hug that will banish those sorrowful moments and provide you the sustenance to carry on with this song in you heart.
  • Christmas Star ~  Debbie is in fine festive vocal fettle, imbuing her voice with a giddy sense of glee and merriment that effervesces with such radiance that it makes the feel good factor entirely contagious. She's accompanied by peppy percussion, jingling bells and decadent chimes that all add to this celebratory song. Lyrics like "live life like you're in a Hallmark town" fill you glad tidings of great joy while that chorus just makes you want to kick up your heels and sparkle. That's the thing about Christmas music - it can lift your mood in the present whilst transporting you back to some of your favourite memories. 
  • Jingle Those Bells ~ the gift of original songs continues on Jingle Those Bells. The lyrics bring together some of Deb's favourite things (memories of her mum, rescue puppies) in a finger-click groove that feels like a lost Motown classic given new life. If every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings then this song is making brand new Clarences wherever those angels may be - the simple yet effective chorus embeds itself in your head and you'll find yourself singing it all the live long day. Its sparkle jolly twinkle jingly.
  • The Candy Man ~ Debbie is giving Wilhemina Wonka realness on this cover of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory classic. Every holiday album needs a song that you can carry with you all year long and this happens to be just one of those songs (the closing track is another). The dual repeat of the backing vocalists gives the song a playful vibe while kudos once again need to be given to the orchestra who don't just play the notes but tell a story. Oh, wanna hear a pop vocal knocked out the park? That middle 8 is phenomenal.
  • Christmas Dreams ~ a mid-tempo song that happens only in your Christmas dreams. There's a sweet, lollopoing nature to that sashaying percussion whilst the piano melody is an utterly charming. Debbie sings of all the romantic dreams and how sometimes dreams come true when your awake (Debbie has the ability to convey sentiments that, once eruditely sung, seem so obvious that they become part of your every day thinking). There's a nod to her debut single at the end of the song that brings her career full circle. Now that's seasonal magic.
  • Sleigh Ride ~ a remastered version of her now-30 year old classic from A Very Special Christmas 2. There's a reason why Debbie's version of the song has turned out to be an enduring favourite - it's fuelled by a giddy, galloping instrumental that is indelibly imbued with the spirit of the season - shimmering bells, luxurious chimes, a vibrant, energetic beat all of which coalesce to bring the sound of horse drawn sleighs from the magic of the studio directly into your home. And of course, Debbie is the most exuberant narrator of the story, giving the age old tale a sparkling, energetic, effusive & exuberant vocal that rides the music for all it's worth. 
  • Jingle Bell Rock/The Christmas Song - it's a mistletoe medley! Jingle Bell Rock has a live big band feel to it (which means it will sound splendiferous at her holiday shows); taking liberties with the pace and rhythm of the song enables her to make the song her own (note, it wouldn't sound out of place in a festive episode of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel). The finale of that song makes The Christmas Song feel like the start of something new, though the music that flows through both is the anchor that connects them. Do they know how to fly?! 
  • Illuminate - the redemptive power of love and light is a recurring theme, not just on Winterlicious but throughout Deb's career. She sings this soaring power ballad, sharing her insights into Hannukah and it is bolstered by a radiant choir (not the first time she has infused her music with such influences). Holiday songs have taught us that a choir of angels sing our songs and this feels like a much needed addition to that canon. Not just sung, lived and breathed because Ms Gibson passionately believes in every single word.
  • White Christmas (feature Joe Gibson) ~ a second Joe duet as Debbie pairs up with her papa on this evergreen standard. It is an enchanting duet - Deb's dad giving old school crooner vibes whilst Debbie revels in the gift of not only singing such a timeless classic but capturing the moment for eternity. There are some cute ad-libs and some mellifluous harmonies that blend together like whipped cream melting into hot chocolate. If Debbie got her gumption and tenacity from her Mama, then she surely inherited her papa's musical prowess. 
  • Cheers ~  Not since ABBA's Happy New Year has there been such a heartfelt blend of mellifluous musings on the past coupled with a tangible sense of hope & optimism that will have you raising a glass each time you hear it. The live version has a lilting piano accompaniment that dances like sparkling snowflakes in the breeze while Debbie's emotive vocal celebrates life long friends and those who just pass through your life (leaving their own indelible impression). You may well shed a tear at her loving tribute to those who are no longer with us (including her own Mama Diane) but, as Ms Gibson sings, those tears will wash away all the sorrows and the la-la-la middle eight lifts your spirits. The definition of a timeless, classic song. Cheers!

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