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I See a Star |
Quartette's I See a Star manages to be both a comfortable set of songs with a traditional feel [although just which tradition may change from song to song] and a refreshing respite from all those seasonal songs we've heard so many times before. Although all but three of the songs were written by the talented ladies who make up Quartette, most carry a definite sense of déjà vu. The musical mix is wonderfully eclectic, roaming effortlessly through traditional and contemporary folk, country, bluegrass, pop, and swing styles. Even so, the end result is seamless and unified. If it were possible to define the perfect Christmas album, this one just might be a contender.
It doesn't hurt that Quartette comprises four of Canada's most talented songwriters, each with a successful singing career in her own right, and that Quartette itself has a sterling reputation in Canada for unique arrangements and interesting harmonies. The talent on this release could make any song sound great. The songs here are well-enough written that they don't need the help. The combination of writing talent, polished arrangements, and vocal talent makes this a release hard to fault.
Without knowing who wrote these songs, it's easy to feel that one or the other is a song once heard long ago and now heard again through the mist of distant memory. The connection these artists have with the various traditions is almost mystical, the sort of thing that can send chills down a person's back. It's a pleasure to experience and share that connection through this music.
The old-timey "A Christmas Waltz" has a timeless down-home feel to it that takes me back fifty years or more. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that Rita McNeil had sung it at one time or the other. The story told is lovely and the melody has a sweet swing to it that only serves to enhance the nostalgia it invokes.
"Santa Please" takes the listener to an urban setting in a whole other era. This is small band swing of the type most recently epitomized by artists such as Susie Arioli. The song is carried by bass, brushes, and lead vocal, with other instruments and vocals providing support and ornamentation. This is a very classy pop-swing treatment.
The title song has a very country and western feel. The melody swings but never loses its country roots. The lead vocal has that pop-country edge we grew used to on late-Sixties country music radio. A pretty song, "I See a Star" makes an ideal beginning for this set.
"Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love" takes us from pop country right back to traditional hillbilly music. This is a beautiful song sung in the bluegrass tradition over the perfect instrumental mix. Besides the vocals, I quite enjoyed the mandolin and fiddle solos during the break.
For those looking for some sweet gospel singing, "Three Wise Men" could be just the song to give you your fix. This isn't big gospel of the sort sung by Mahalia Jackson or The Edwin Hawkins Singers, but a quieter, a capella, almost doo wop style of gospel. The harmonies are beautiful and the song rocks.
"Snowflakes from Heaven" is a sweet Thirties-movie swing-blues complete with backing choral group. It's so sweet it makes Tin Pan Alley seem like a tradition in itself. Once again, it's the bass, brushes, and that sultry lead vocal that carry the song.
"Oh Holy Night" is sweet and traditional, but the Fifties guitar line and soft reverbed harmonies give it the pop-rock sound of groups such as the Teddy Bears or the Paris Sisters. This is not a bad thing. The song is very beautiful.
Whatever the genre, each of the songs on I See a Star is flawlessly written, arranged, and performed. This may not be the perfect Christmas album, but it comes close enough to perfection for me.
To learn more about Cindy Church, Caitlin Hanford, Gwen Swick, and Sylvia Tyson, individually and together as Quartette, visit www.quartette.com.
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Since about February 14, 2004, |
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