With a sound that has always has been defined as radio-friendly pop, there was no indication that Jaci Velasquez's first attempt at holiday music would be any different than her fellow CCM recording artists, whose albums are so lacking in Christmas spirit that they can be played year-round and never sound out of place. But luckily, Velasquez wanted the songs to sound like they came right out of an AMC classic movie, complete with the traditional arrangements that she had always loved. And that's exactly what she did, getting Christopher Harris to produce and the Irish Film Orchestra to provide the instrumentation. The songs that make up
Christmas are jazzy big band numbers, majestic orchestrated pieces and cozy piano-accompanied carols, all of which have a beautiful old-time feel. Although Velasquez's pop past sneaks into a few songs, the majority of
Christmas sounds like it came straight out of the 1940s. The album opens with the atmospheric "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." Velasquez's poignant vocals echo through the song while the tension successfully builds as light, elegant strings are slowly and delicately overpowered by tense electric guitar. Clocking in at just barely two minutes, it gradually dissolves into the Chris Eaton-penned "The Angel Song," the first of three original tunes. Her crystal clear voice smoothly guides the gentle and ever so slightly distorted reverberating musical arrangement into the magnificent chorus, and it absolutely soars.
Lucky for us, the two other new songs are just as good. Composed by Scott Krippayne, "It Wouldn't Be Christmas" is a laid-back love ballad that recalls Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown scores, and the contemporary pop sound of "Season of Love," with Velasquez joined by Word Records labelmate Pete Orta, is complete with drums, strings and some fabulous Spanish-style guitar work. Her radiant rendition of "The First Noel" is a swirl of the delicate and strong, creating a song whose characteristics are both timid and powerful. Velasquez takes us along with her almost as if we've never heard this story before, and when she sings They looked up and saw the star, it actually feels like she is looking up as we're peering over her shoulder as she describes what she sees. The cheerful chirps of a flute open "White Christmas" and before long, strings, a massive choir and the occasional sleigh bells have joined in. "O Little Town of Bethlehem" swells with aura of emotion, and, as it is with many of Christmas' songs, the music flows from quiet ripples of sentiment to positively epic intensity. They just don't make music that sounds like this anymore, and the songs feel like they were snatched out of another time. And since Velasquez isn't content to leave us without a smile on our face this holiday season, and the pace quickens on the festive "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow." The brass is blaring, the sleigh bells are ringing and she even has some lively vocalists backing her up, much like the Andrews Sisters did for Bing Crosby. Also worth noting are the melancholy "I'll Be Home for Christmas," the charmingly sincere "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and the inviting "The Christmas Song," which practically feels like you're wrapped up in a warm blanket, sitting by the fireplace and watching its glow reflect on the tree's ornaments. With Christmas, Velasquez has crafted an album that is by far her strongest work to date, and an undeniable new holiday classic.
