LeAnn Rimes, probably best known as the youngest country music singer since Tanya Tucker in 1972, as she rose to stardom at the age of 13, has recently released a new Christmas album. She made her breakthrough into country music in 1996 with her debut record, Blue. Since then she has had success in both the country and pop genres, garnering numerous awards and accolades. Sadly her personal life became a bit of a mess starting in 2000, causing her to all but drop off the country music radar as of the last few years. Since 2000, Rimes has released 6 studio albums and 2 Christmas albums. Out of the 6 studio records, only 2 were successful on the charts.
Country Music seems to have black balled her after the news about her affair with her now-husband first broke. I’m not saying it’s right. It certainly isn’t fair… cough cough… Jason Aldean is still highly successful… But what’s done is done now, I guess. I admit to not being hugely familiar with her music, although I am familiar with her life and her voice.
Anyway, here we are with another Christmas offering from Rimes. Now, before we go any further, I should say that I’m a HUGE Christmas music fan. I’m that nutcase that listens to Christmas music all year round. I don’t generally come across Christmas albums that I don’t like. This is probably why I find it very disappointing to have to say that I wasn’t totally thrilled with this record. That being said, there are still quite a few tracks that I really liked. It’s just that the record as a whole didn’t seem to flow well, some tracks were off the wall, jazzy, and modern, while others were stripped down, and traditional.
For the record, I loved LeAnn’s first two Christmas records, What A Wonderful World (2004) and One Christmas: Chapter One (2014 EP). What A Wonderful World is a superb Christmas record, with production and vocals totally on point. It’s one of my favorites. That’s why I went into Today Is Christmas thinking I’d have no problem liking it. But sadly, I was mistaken. It’s not a bad record, it’s just not wonderful. Rimes’ vocals sound a bit off for the most part, maybe due to the odd production. The production is a little too slow at times, and at others it just doesn’t fit the mood/feel of the song.
The record opens with the title track, “Today Is Christmas”. The track features a jazzy sound, yet it comes off as a bit too slow. Rimes’ vocals sound a bit bland on this one, almost like she might be a bit bored. This song is all about celebrating and enjoying Christmas day. The thing that strikes me the most about this tune, is the fact that it actually needs a more energetic vocal delivery, and a lighter production. “We Need A Little Christmas” follows, featuring a slower version of a Christmas staple. I was a little concerned as soon as I heard the slowed down production, simply because I couldn’t imagine this song working without the fun, highly energetic delivery that I’m used to hearing, but LeAnn pulled it off beautifully. This is one of the highlights on the record. LeAnn has a beautiful, rich voice when she uses it properly. This is an excellent version and I’ll definitely be adding it to my Christmas playlist this season.
“I Still Believe In Santa Claus” and “Must Be Santa” both fell flat for me, simply because they just weren’t my cup of tea. I will say that children will probably love “Must Be Santa”, as it seems to be geared more towards a juvenile audience. I wasn’t really sold on the delivery of either track or the production, not to mention that they’re both weaker songs anyway. “The Heartache Can Wait” is a very depressing Christmas song, think a sadder, modern day “If We Make It Through December” or “Christmas Will Be Just Another Day”. LeAnn sings that Christmas is “one more chance to be inspired”, as she tries to get her lover to hold on and try to fix the relationship. It’s actually not a true Christmas song, but like a few others, think “If We Make it Through December”, it seems to get thrown in anyway simply because it mentions Christmas and throws out images associated with Christmas.
There are two collaborations on this record, one with Aloe Blacc and another with Gavin DeGraw. The listener finds LeAnn teaming up with Aloe Blacc on “That Spirit of Christmas”, a slow, stripped down, soulful number. It carries a nice sentiment/message, but still falls flat for some reason. For me, it’s the delivery that kills it, again. Gavin DeGraw joins LeAnn on “Celebrate Me Home”, which is the better collaboration on the record. It features a much better delivery that matches the jazzy/soul mixed production. Their voices go very well together.
There are two medleys on this record, “Holly Jolly Christmas/Frosty the Snowman” and “Joy: God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman/ Angels We Have Heard On High/ Hark The Herald Angels Sing”. Both are enjoyable and more traditional in their approach. My favorite out of the two is “Joy: God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman/ Angels We Have Heard On High/ Hark The Herald Angels Sing”. She opens the track singing a part of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” a cappella, and then moves into “Angels We Have Heard On High” and “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” with minimal production, which highlights her vocal performance. This is how I’d like LeAnn to sing all the time! Anyone who says that Rimes can’t sing has never heard her like this before. LeAnn’s voice needs little to no production. She shines best on the minimal tracks. Listening to this track is much like a religious experience, big and powerful, all due to LeAnn’s amazing vocal ability. This is definitely my favorite song on the record by far!
What’s a Christmas record without “Christmas Time Is Here”? The song has become a staple for the holiday, with the Peanuts Christmas movie skyrocketing it to fame. LeAnn’s version is simple and beautiful, like a quiet snowy evening. The song is perfectly executed. Another absolute must have on a Christmas record is the traditional “Little Drummer Boy”. It happens to be one of my favorite Christmas songs ever, after first hearing Johnny Cash sing it when I was a toddler. Again, LeAnn does the song proud, with a perfect vocal delivery and stripped, simple production. It’s another standout on the record.
The record concludes with the Robert Burns poem turned song, “Auld Lang Syne”. It’s really the perfect way to end any holiday project, heck it worked for It’s A Wonderful Life didn’t it? It’s a song that has become a symbol of the holiday season, especially New Years’. It’s beautiful and a little sad all at the same time. It also happens to be my favorite Burns poem, well next to “A Red, Red Rose”. LeAnn sings this totally a cappella, and it’s beautiful. LeAnn emotes well, which is what this song needs. It’s a truly excellent way to conclude the record.
Overall, this album is an enjoyable one. It doesn’t necessarily flow that well or seem organized, and some tracks fall completely flat, but it does have a few great tracks which save it. I’d recommend the latter half of the record the most, but go ahead and listen to the whole thing!
Originally posted here.
