Friday, 2 December 2022

Sheryl Lee Ralph - Sleigh


23 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy Sheryl Lee Ralph's Sleigh here (external link)

I join the throngs of people who have expressed delight that something that might just have been a dream (girl) is now an actual Christmas wish come true. Broadway and singing legend, Sheryl Lee Ralph, has released not just a holiday song but a whole album of festive cheer to guide you through this season (and many to come).  A great holiday album is not just one that finds its way onto your playlist in the year it is released - it is one finds its way back to you, year after year, becoming the soundtrack to happy memories and the balm to those more melancholy. Sheryl's album, Sleigh, promises to be just that collection of Christmas music; it is a project where she takes her responsibility to make you merry and bright very seriously...

The album opens with God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, swathed in choral vocals, stately strings and Sheryl's reverent, emotive vocal. There is a sombre, almost haunting element to it as it helps the listener not just listen to the story but be immersed into it. "it's been a long time coming" sings Sheryl on Holiday Cheer (We Made It), a slow burn R&B groove that celebrates the reuniting of family at the most wonderful time of the year. It has lyrics of activities you'll recognise, drenched in a contemporary radio groove that is fresh yet warming. Wreck The Halls continues this modern-day take on Christmas, bringing B-Slade along for a trap, rap track with slap. It is inventive and exciting, yet with thoughtful lyrics from B-Slade that require your repeat attention to fully appreciate. 

Silent Night feels like a song Ms Ralph has most likely been singing for years - her attention to detail both in the studied arrangement and her restrained vocal mean every note is savoured. She bends each note to her will for maximum impact, demonstrating songs don't always need to be belted to the rafters. Little Drummer Boy adds an intoxicating guitar riff alongside a shoulder shimmying groove and piano that twinkles like the brightest lights on the most ornate tree. Sheryl seems to love the Eastern vibe this crafts, singing in her absolute element. After a spoken interlude, Sheryl brings a new Sleigh (Jingle Bells) where the classic R&B girl group backing vocals certainly bring the other meaning to sleigh/slay. And I'm pretty sure that is the point of the song. 

The Real Meaning sees Sheryl back with B-Slade on a quiet storm of a new holiday mid-tempo ballad. The lyrics shine a necessary spotlight on the important things the season should focus on, but that often get lost in the commercialism of it all. It is a compelling sermon that never feels preachy. A short vocal interlude continues the theme (The Gift) before Sheryl sings a radiant piano-vocal version of Hark The Herald Angels Sing. She gives the well known carol so heart that it feels wonderfully intimate (as if she was singing in your own home). O Holy Night is equally as dynamic - the way Ms Ralph imbues her voice with the right amount of strength to send the song soaring is an absolute masterclass that is a joy to listen to. My favourite carol and performed exquisitely.

The carol concert continues, although Sheryl moves the setting by taking you to church on O Come All Ye Faithful. She's bought the enviable pipes of B-Slade back and invites Ann Nesby along to join her on this rousing gospel take. Their glorious voices intertwine so beautifully that it brings new majesty to the song. This testimony continues via Muva Has Spoken (a heartfelt declaration of faith from Shery's mother, Ivy) before the album comes to a close with Silent Night Vibes with Hubie Wang. It is a final reminder that Sheryl has been creative in bringing her Christmas vision to life - and the whole album is a showcase to that. If it brings you comfort and joy, like these Silent Night Vibes, then it has done its job.

at

No comments:

Post a Comment