Canadian singer Natasha St-Pier released a new Christmas album, Christmas Album (Whispers Of Christmas Magic). She sings covers of Christmas classics in French, English and Spanish.
The music is Pop/Holiday. These renditions of Christmas classics smoothly blend music from the original version and contemporary sounds that Natasha St-Pier and the musicians gave to these songs.
The album starts on a high note with the song Oh Happy Day. It has a choir-like spin combined with dynamic Pop music. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree has a bold electric guitar sound. Feliz Navidad blends semi-fast with slow, giving it a festive, romantic vibe. It follows the music of the original version with modern Pop music. Vive Le Vent starts slow with fun sleigh bells, then smoothly picks up in a lovely semi-fast tempo. It feels magical. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow has a sound similar to Crooner’s music. It has a romantic feel and is suitable for dancing with a significant other. Bons baisers de Fort-de-France (Joyeux Noël) in this album has heartfelt nostalgia that honours the original version. It has a joyous energy.
The record has ballads with great compositions. Hallejuah has a beautiful guitar and piano in the background, reminding me of Leonard Cohen’s original version. Douce Nuit (Silent Night) has a lovely xylophone-style sound, giving it a soothing lullaby effect. Minuit, Chrétiens (O Holy Night) has a soft piano playing in the background, creating that deep feeling of contemplation and prayer. Mon Beau Sapin has soothing music that is similar to the original version. Petit Papa Noël (The Canadian Tenors) has beautiful choir-style music that gives this song a feeling of community. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas has a smooth, relaxing rhythm with semi-fast beats full of holiday cheer.
This album has three songs with a fantastic blend of slow and semi-fast: All I Want For Christmas Is You, Last Christmas and Happy Xmas. All I Want For Christmas Is You has a concert-style beat. The incredible musicians are Guillaume Stelly (Bass, Choir, Glockenspiel, Programming, Additional Guitar, and Bass Guitar), Jean-Nicolas John Sombrun (Choir), Romain Joutard (Drums) and Vincent Bidal (Choir, Glockenspiel, Keyboards, Piano, Additional Percussion). They did a remarkable job conveying sadness and nostalgia. Last Christmas is an impressive mix of Contemporary Dance and Pop. It honours the composition of Wham’s original version but also has a spin that Natasha St-Pier and her team of musicals beautifully created. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) has a beautiful new spin on John Lennon’s single with a Country-style beat. The music is hopeful and peaceful. The choir component creates solidarity and unity.
The music on this album is rich and soulful.
Natasha St-Pier’s voice is bold yet soft and soulful. She sings each song with genuine passion. She sings in three languages: French, English and Spanish. With some songs, Natasha St-Pier sings in French and English.
It’s impressive to hear Natasha St-Pier sing some of those classics in two languages: Douce Nuit (Silent Night) and Minuit, Chrétiens (O Holy Night).
The album features a heartfelt duet of Natasha St-Pier and The Canadian Tenors with the piece Petit Papa Noël. Their voices complement each other nicely, and they sing this song with beautiful softness, great rhythm, and a smooth flow. The little boy singing near the end captures children’s joy during this time of year.
The album Christmas Album (Whispers Of Christmas Magic) is available.
