3 New Christmas Albums Worth Listening To

Here are some new Christmas albums you may not have seen advertised at Wal-Mart or Target, but are definitely worth giving a listen to:

Rosie Thomas – A Very Rosie Christmas

The Michigan native distinguished by her melancholy acoustic poems brings forth a collection of covers and originals with more pop and commerciality than her non-holiday albums. “Why Can’t it Be Christmastime All Year,” the first track on this month’s Paste Magazine sampler, breaks open with a pounding piano hook and catchy horn stabs. For the most part, Rosie removes the glitz and fluff from many holiday standards expanding upon their nostalgia and thematic roots. She even manages to reinvent the classic Chipmunk tune “Christmas Don’t Be Late” as a sentimental ballad that effectively communicates adult feelings of hope and longing.  Her renditions of classics like “River,” “Silent Night,” and “Christmastime is Here” are cadence driven, rhodes sweetened creative retellings that seem to hang in mid air before  they slowly drift back from the nostalgia where  they first came.  On the other side of the coin, Rosie’s original pieces push the envelope but remain commercially listenable.  “Alone at Christmastime,” is a capturing of holiday loneliness and struggle while “Snow Day” is an ambient instrumental tribute to those oh so popular Manheim Steamroller holiday collections.  Rosie’s comedic alter ego, Sheila Saputo, makes a guest appearance along with her husband Jeff Shoop and brother BT. The album is a testament to the values of Christmas ending with a personal message from Rosie thanking friends, fans, and family for their love and support.

Sojourn – Advent Songs

Sojourn is a community of modern day psalmists based in Louisville, Kentucky whose organic, truthful tunes in the style of Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken have been featured on Noisetrade.com. Their dedication to the ancient style of hymn-writing juxtaposed against their musical modernity makes their collection of “Advent songs” anything but dull. Just eight tracks long, the album transitions from tranquil folk renditions to more explosive electric versions of well-known Christmas carols. There’s a refreshing community aspect to the project with different voices, both male and female, contributing to melodies and harmonies. This collection undoubtedly breathes some much-needed new life into some of these classics that have grown stale, but their re-shapings and arrangements may be too unusual for some.  That said, the production and arrangements are excellent, laden with classical integrations of strings and brass. In addition, the original songs featured, birthed out of the Sojourn church community, are a breath of fresh air in an over-produced, U2 sound-a-like, worship music scene.

Shane & Shane – Glory in the Highest

“Glory in the Highest” is exactly what it sounds like: Shane & Shane performing Christmas songs…in the style of Shane & Shane. Not that that’s a bad thing. Radio stations still play Bruce Springsteen’s Springsteenish “Santa Clause is Coming to Town” because it’s a hit. What Shane and Shane bring to the Christmas table is what they’ve always brought, powerful pop vocals, a clean-crisp production, and hauntingly truthful lyrics…except when they cover “White Christmas.” The voice famous for the emotive chorus “I want to yearn for You, I want to burn with passion” just doesn’t seem to fit with “the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be on your own front door.” But there are some gems here. Their version of O Holy Night might just be the most energetic and tasteful out there and their stripped down chorus of  “O Come Let Us Adore Him” is truly captivating. Fans of both the duo and acoustic pop in general will enjoy this holiday effort.