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Wintersong
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| Editorial Reviews: | | |  | | An album like this could cement Sarah McLachlan as a middle-of-the-road crooner ready for the Andy Williams Christmas Show, but there's more beneath the surface of Wintersong than just Christmas chestnuts, over-roasting on an open fire. Longtime McLachlan producer Pierre Marchand blurs the borders with ambient sound effects, distorted guitars, and subtle echoes. He adds a Mark Isham-esque muted trumpet solo emerging out of reverse echoes on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" as if viewing the song through a distorted mirror. Violins that sound like they're being blown through a Leslie speaker combine unpredictably with a banjo on "O Little Town of Bethlehem." And on the seventh song, McLachlan finally kicks the album into another gear, turning "The First Noël" into a storming entreaty backed by tribal drums and surging low strings. Her voice is like the serene angel amidst the raging storm. I wish McLachlan had taken more chances like this, instead of the subtle framing she employs around melodies that remain true to form. Surprisingly, the more contemporary songs by John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot are the least inventive. Her reading of Mitchell's incandescently wistful "River" is overly faithful to the original, and Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" sounds like karaoke, right down to the Spector-esque production and children's choir. But given that Lennon's prayer for peace still remains unanswered, that fidelity could be intentional. Regardless, this is familiar Christmas fare delivered in an intimate and ethereal fashion that will satisfy those who believe in the nostalgic spirit of the season. --John Diliberto More from Sarah McLachlan 
Mirrorball: The Complete Concert
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Surfacing
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Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
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Afterglow
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Sarah McLachlan: Video Collection 1989-1998 (DVD)
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Sarah McLachlan: A Life of Music (DVD)
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| Custom Reviews: | |
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| Captures the essence of Christmas & Winter | |
| | Truly, this is my favorite of Christmas albums by any artist. I have always loved Sarah Mclachlan and her haunting voice, intrinsic to her music. This is a must have to any music enthusiast; a classic!
| | | Christmas music is generally the last place one looks for "interpretations". It's usually all about nostalgia and predictability... until you hear this album. Her rendition of Greensleeves (What Child is this?) can only be described as earthshaking - a haunting, infectious take on a genuine Christmas classic that will be with me forever. Prior to this, I'd barely heard of Sara Mclachlan. Now, I'll never forget her.
| | | While most Christmas albums are chipper, merry, bubbly laments to the holiday season, Sarah Mclachlan taps into something that's sad in its beauty and reflects the cold loneliness of winter. Covering Joni Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot's sad reflections of Christmas and winter respectively, penning her own Christmas sadness (the glorious, sublimely gorgeous "Wintersong"), and putting a unique, sparse spin on old classics such as "Silent Night", this is an incredibly unique holiday album but one to experience without a doubt. Although some of the tracks fall a little flat (the arrangement of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is more uptempo than expected and I believe Mclachlan could have done more with this song) it's a must-have for any holiday music fan, or any fan of slow piano-acoustic ballads.
| | | Christmas albums are not coming out too much anymore , and the ones that are , new ones are just , a cash grab at christmas , Oh lets make a christmas cd and a bunch of cash , (probably always was like that) BUT this cd stands out , most songs are original in her style and with a clear voice its the christmas cd of this season ,hands down!!
| | Proof that seasonal music can be a legitimate form of artistic expression | |
| | Christmas albums are a dime a dozen; they often feature the same songs, arranged in the same manner and the same production values. While it's still good enough for me as a Christmas music lover, even I have to agree that the formula can run a little thin after a while. But then, every once in a while, some brilliant seasonal album pops up amongst the deluge of annual holiday releases, proving once again that Christmas music can be a legitimate form of artistic expression - that is, if the artist tries a little harder than his/her peers to come up with something special. There is no doubt in my mind that Sarah McLachlan's "Wintersong" will be remembered by a lot of people as 2006's all-round best Christmas album.
This album is elegant in its simplicity, emotionnally substantial, subtly produced by McLachlan's usual complice Pierre Marchand, and presents a level of creativity seldom equalled on other Christmas albums. Sarah has managed to make these songs her own without twisting their essence; changing a melodic line here and there ("What child is this", "I'll be home for Christmas"), adding gently hypnotical rhythm where you would not expect it ("The first Noel", "River"), all the while including some lesser-known material ("Christmas time is here"). The self-penned title track is nothing short of a masterpiece that leaves me with an unexplainable lump in the throat every single time I listen to it; so few artists can manage to walk the thin line between grief and beauty, and this song does this in a way that will touch anyone whose Christmas is not just about joy and peace.
Perhaps it has to do with being a Canadian, but I find it very appealing that she has also chosen some songs that deal with winter just as much as they do with Christmas; "In the bleak midwinter" is especially effective in this regard. The tone of the album is decidedly dreamy and intimate; and even though it's definitely not the Christmas album that you'll be popping in at the pinnacle of your Christmas Eve party, it may come in handy once everyone's quieting down after dinner while the kids are playing with their fresh new toys. What's even better is that it will likely make a great companion to put you in the Christmas spirit, looking at snow fall outside your window and trimming the Christmas tree.
Simply breath-taking !
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