Friday, 4 November 2022

Pentatonix - Holidays Around The World


51 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy Holidays Around The World here (Amazon US)
Read all my Pentatonix Christmas reviews here

To paraphrase Kylie Minogue, Christmas Isn't Christmas until Pentatonix get here! This is the tenth year of myfestivepop reviewing all the best new songs and albums of the season; and the ninth year in a row I've been able to write about ace acappella vocal group Pentatonix & their seasonal output. Surely auditioning to be the next royal family of the North Pole, their festive fare remains unparalleled - a delightful discography of over one hundred holiday songs. This year, the fab five are trying something different - new and classic Yuletide songs with arrangements that are inspired by the rich tapestry of musical influences from around the globe. Think of it as your soundtrack to a world trip - or even just your annual stroll around Disney World's Epcot centre. It brings sounds that are joyful and triumphant - all to be showcased in an epic Disney+ special later this year...

The Holidays Around The World spectacular kicks off with Kid on Christmas; it starts as a gentle lullaby about all the anticipation that the most wonderful time of the year brings before emerging (like a present from the wrapping) into a finger click groove. Fun flourishes and wooshing harmonies make this as giddy as a sleigh ride. Classical piano ushes in Jingle Bells; a sparkling arrangement that feels like it could have been lifted from a Bridgerton Christmas Special. It's beautifully theatrical, a varied pace adding nuance and emotion to the well-loved classic. It's a trip to Victorian England that feels brilliantly vivid, like you've been transported through time. It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year is one of my favourite Christmas songs so I'm rather protective of it - but PTX do a great job of using their intricate vocal arrangements to make it a sonic stereo experience. It feels a little like a Lion King soundtrack addition...

... as does Love Came On Christmas, a gorgeous blend of African rhythms and harmonies that mixes Joy To The World with Kumama Papa; it's a stirring take on a classic that opens the ears and mind to how other cultures infuse their own heritage into these timeless songs. The Star is a sumptuous adult contemporary style mid-tempo ballad that should be lighting up radio any time about now. Romantic lyrics help you get lost in the music, a dreamy vocal that is like whipped cream melting into the most velvety hot chocolate drink. Prayers For The World is a contemporary hymn with a bold evocative instrumental that swathes the passionate vocal in necessary drama and urgency - if Janet Jackson ever recorded a sequel to her brilliant Rhythm Nation single she could do a lot worse than join the five piece on this epic song.

Hark The Herald Angels Sing is a soaring, orchestral take on the carol that once again feels like it is lifted from the pages of Dicken's A Christmas Carol. You are immersed in the opulence of the score, while the singing conjures up images of grandiose cathedrals. Christmas In Our Hearts continues the focus on the greatest story ever told, making its placement after Hark The Herald Angels Sing a continuation of a wondrous carol concert. The hallelujah style backing vocals swathe the leads in uplifting majesty that leaves you feeling merry and bright. And then, how fun that Feliz Navidad takes you to a dusky Spanish tavern with lilting guitar and castanet style hand claps. It is sung beautifully, the heritage of Spain exquisitely represented through the expressive vocal style. Christmas in the sun? Don't mind if I do!

Are Pentatonix the Invincible stars of Christmas? They may well be based on this radiant, uplifting song. With Greatest Showman influences, this is cinematic in scope and their ambitious aural vision is realised through a song that doesn't tell you how to feel but just lets you feel it alongside their triumphant singing. Wham's indelible Last Christmas gets a funky, almost hip-hop inspired twist that (as if you needed it) reminds you how complex the fabric of these songs are. Gifted performers, this helps the listener believe they are singing not to make it better but because the memories are too painful not to sing through. And don't we all need a bit of hope at Christmas. A crystalline Silent Night closes the album, helping the craziness of the world pause whilst you are completely in awe of this celestial performance. A choir of angels truly does sing this song - we can only hope we are lucky enough to get a deluxe edition next year but standalone this is stunning.

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