Here we are in the middle of the holiday season, glad that
the temps are cooler and that visits with family and friends are just around
the corner. However, once the onslaught of overcrowded stores, endless parties
and too much eggnog gets to be a bit too much, there’s nothing like the sounds
of the season to get you back in the holiday spirit. Here are two unexpected new
releases to consider as you update your holiday library collection.
Cee Lo Green – Cee Lo’s Magic Moment
From the way that Cee Lo is EVERYWHERE on your TV these
days, you would swear that he’s been a huge success musically. However, Cee Lo
has only had two actual hits here in the US: one as the vocal half of Gnarls
Barkley on the ubiquitous “Crazy,” and then one solo hit telling an ex
“F*&k You.” So it may be surprising to many that he has released a holiday
album, but one listen to Cee Lo’s Magic
Moment will make it clear that this guy was born to sing upbeat Christmas
songs. From classic R&B songs like “That’s What Christmas Means to Me” and
“This Christmas” to more traditional fare like “White Christmas” and “Silent
Night,” Cee Lo brings the fun with arrangements that work with his playful
personality and soulful delivery style. Highlights include a lighter-than-usual
rendition of “The Christmas Song,” a suitably understated rendition of Joni
Mitchell’s “River,” and a campy take on “You’re a Mean One, Mister Grinch,”
which features a capella labelmates Straight No Chaser on harmonies.
Speaking of guests, the guests Cee Lo brings aboard run the
gamut, from the above mentioned (and spot-on) Straight No Chaser to the
well-beyond-his-prime Rod Stewart, who should have just stayed on his own album
instead of mucking up an otherwise fun and festive Cee Lo record. Christina
Aguilera brings the sultry to “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” but perhaps the most
polarizing duet is the one with the Muppets. Utilizing the classic “Mahna
Mahna,” Cee Lo creates a crazy yet enjoyable new song called “All I Need Is
Love” that features the Muppets singing backup. It may not be your idea of a
Christmas song, but give the guy credit for trying.
All in all, Cee Lo’s
Magic Moment is a solid effort, with only a couple of rough patches. If
you’re looking for something non-traditional, this would be an excellent
choice.
Tracey Thorn – Tinsel and Light
Full disclosure: I have been a massive fan of Tracey Thorn
and her husband Ben Watt since the mid-80s when they were active as Everything
but the Girl, best known in the United States for the ubiquitous ‘90s club hit
“Missing.” If I were given the choice of one band I would want to reform and
record again, I wouldn’t hesitate to say Everything but the Girl. Thorn has
been recording solo material over the past decade, but something I never
pictured we would get would be a holiday album. Fortunately, Tracey did picture
it, and the result is a left-of-center instant classic called Tinsel and Lights.
To her credit, Thorn chose an eclectic list of songs that
mix traditional fare like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and the now
must-cover “River” with more obscure tracks like the White Stripes’ “In the
Cold, Cold Night” and “Sister Winter” by Sufjan Stevens. Highlights include a
brass section-backed “River,” an even more melancholy version of Dolly Parton’s
“Hard Candy Christmas,” and “Taking Down the Tree,” which features vocals from
Scritti Politti frontman Green Gartside. “Like a Snowman” sounds like a song
that Everything but the Girl would have recorded were they still together, but
the revelation here is how a song Everything but the Girl DID record still
sounds relevant 15 years later. On “25th December,” Thorn and Watt
remind us that holidays not only bring families together but they remind of us
holidays past and the regrets that we may still retain no matter how hard we
try. Now, how about that reunion?
All in all, Thorn takes a motley collection of songs and
makes them holiday-appropriate without getting too caught up in clichés. If
you’re looking for something that doesn’t sound like traditional holiday music,
it won’t get much better than Tinsel and
Lights.
