Merry Christmas [CD]

I am grateful to Shelby for this CD. I grudgingly started collecting Christmas CDs a few years ago because it means so much to my Mom to listen to Christmas songs at Christmastime. I'd rather listen to good music. We can both be happy with this CD in the lineup. Shelby continues the use of older equipment to create her songs and the result is warm and inviting. As with her last few CDs, there is an intimacy to these holiday recordings that leaves you feeling Shelby is actually in the room with you performing the songs. One of the things I like best about this collection is most of the songs are covers, so we get another opportunity to hear Shelby interpret. She's almost peerless when it comes to interpreting songs (her Dusty Springfield covers are stunning). The two original songs fit right in with the covers and are fantastic contributions to the Christmas song canon. I particularly enjoyed the bluesy Xmas. Once again, another stellar effort by Shelby.

Prime Cuts: Xmas, Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas, Silver Bells

Anyone can cut a Christmas album. And In this day and age almost every established act, irrespective of genre, has had recorded a yuletide tribute. Thus, in the deluge of holiday sets that are been marketed at us each year, the ones that are really worthy getting a hold of are those that are not recorded karaoke style. Rather, they are those that re-tell these carols with such nuances that these classics take on a life of their own. Lynne, known for her gorgeous throaty contralto, has indeed made these 8 classics and 2 newly self-composed tracks hers. She has deconstructed most of these well known carols and re-dressed them with her unadorned patented style utilizing elements of coffee-house jazz, deep bluesy country and stripped down acoustic strumming. Without the pressure from a major label (as "Merry Christmas" is self-released) Lynne has never sounded more relaxed and confident. As a result this is more a Shelby Lynne album then one of those yuletide soundtracks made to function as elevator music in crowded malls.

The best cuts are the pair of originals, both of which are written by Lynne. And both of them are like polar opposites: "Xmas" is chilling piece that is almost lifted out of Lynne's pain-ridden childhood. The opening line "Christmas makes me sad/And Daddy's being bad..." hints at the melancholic direction this brooding jazzy ballad is heading. On the other hand, the rollicking acoustic sounding "Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas" almost strikes one to think of Lynne as bipolar. While "Xmas" paints a sad picture of the family at Christmas, "Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas" gives all the reasons for a family joy at the holidays from singing carols to drinking egg nog together. Speaking of originals, Lynne almost transforms the classic "O Holy Night" into an original. Starting off with the simple plucking of nylons on a guitar, Lynne slowly tackles "O Holy Night" in a slow and dreamy understated way without going bombastic as most artist love to do.

Though Lynne is known for her melancholic flare, she does get into the festive mood too. Tex Logan's "Christmas Time is Coming" finds Lynne indulging in some acoustic bluegrass stomp with some killer mandolin lines. While Lynne turns retro swing on "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" allowing her voice to shine unadorned in its stark beauty. "Silver Bells," with its slide guitar and mandolin, has a down home charm. Yet, the plaintive voice of Lynne gives a haunting nostalgia that is bittersweet to listen to. The way she sings "Silver Bells" is just emotionally stirring. The same can be said of her rendition of "White Christmas"--it is seasonally romantic yet pithy with painful memories.

Despite its generic title "Merry Christmas"--this is far from a ho-hum effort. The pride of place resides in Lynne's interpretive skills. Regardless of whether she's singing an overtly familiar carol or a newly crafted paean, Lynne has a way of bringing herself, her life experiences, her hurts, her disappointments and her joys into it. Beneath each note lies her beating heart and she sings them like they are her mouth piece for her soul. Don't let the title fool you--as there's so much that's left to unearth underneath an innocuous title like "Merry Christmas."

I am a little prejudiced because Shelby Lynne happens to be my favorite all-around female singer of our time. One thing she hadn't done that she always wanted to do was a Christmas album. Now, with the freedom of having her own label, she finally kept a dream of her own. And, now it's our dream. Our dream Christmas album.

Most of the standards are here: Sleigh Ride/Winter Wonderland, Silver Bells, O Holy Night, Santa Clause Is Coming To Town, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Silent Night, and White Christmas. What true Christmas would be without those songs. But, this time they are done probably more beautifully than you'd ever expect. One of the all-time Country Christmas songs, Christmastime's A-Coming is done as well as I've ever heard it. Shelby also penned two new songs of her own. Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas is the perfect song to get an old scrooge to jumpin' if he or she isn't already. Shelby's second self-penned song, Xmas is what I think can be taken as a very sad song or a song that lifts you up being sung by a young lady who has been through so much in her life, but is strong enough to keep goin' on. It's just the perfect Christmas album! Thank, Shelby!