Sunday, 13 November 2022

Blake Shelton - Cheers, It's Christmas!


6 WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy the super deluxe edition of Cheers, It's Christmas here (external link)

It is ten years since Blake Shelton released his holiday album, Cheers, It's Christmas. Let's face it, he's not been without seasonal cheer in the meantime. He's contributed to one of my favourite festive albums of recent years - Gwen Stefan's You Make It Feel Like Christmas (duetting on the lush title track and, to celebrate Cheers, It's Christmas' 5th anniversary re-released the original album with three brand new tracks. I'm of the mindset that a Christmas album is for life, not just the year it was released - partially that is through the songs weaving their way into annual seasonal soundtracks and finding a life of their own. Part of it, however, is also through new songs being added - and Blake continues to celebrate the key anniversaries of this Yuletide project with a now 10th anniversary re-issue...

The original album saw Blake deliver some seasonal standards with a little down-low, honky tonk charm added into the score. His in-built raconteur ways made him a shoe-in to tell such melodic Christmas stories - and he bought a few friends along for the ride; Michael Buble joined him on a sparkling new version of his own track Home whilst Blake got Kelly Clarkson on one of her earliest Christmas endeavours, There's A New Kid In Town. Country royalty, Reba, pops by to sing about an Oaklohoma Christmas - complete with fun fiddle and a two-step percussive groove. On the 5th anniversary, the 3 new songs blended beautifully with the existing songs - an attention to the production values helped tracks like his cover of Gwen's Christmas Eve slide in seamlessly. 

Blake returns to Gwen's You Make It Feel Like Christmas opus with his new songs - a cover of Cheers For The Elves gives the song a richer appreciation of the work Santa's helpers undertake. Sassy brass, sumptuous piano and a kids choir still make it as magical as it was on Gwen's LP. It's sweeping orchestra makes this a real celebration. Up On The Rooftop infuses the score with some rock'n'roll influences - there's a little Tina Proud Mary and a rollicking guitar that has enough energy to power Santa's sleigh through to Christmas morn. A piano drenched Holly Jolly Christmas rounds off proceedings, with a lolloping pace that let's Blake savour every single word. All three tracks feel like a convivial sing-along party, Blake bringing the listener right into the Cheers, It's Christmas experience. Aces.

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