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
Surfacing
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Afterglow
VH1 Storytellers: Sarah McLachlan (DVD)
Solace
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Mary's choice:
Wintersong is my favorite holiday music cd. Sarah MacLachlan's beautiful voice and her rendition of classic Christmas songs is unforgettable. I can listen to this over and over again and never get tired of it. I am so glad I purchased this CD.
Best Christmas CD ever:
I love this CD so much that I find myself playing it other times of the year too. This artist has the voice of an angel, and her arrangements of standards, as well as some original songs, is simply breathtaking! Amid the recycling of the same old holiday songs by other artists, Ms. McLachlan is a breath of fresh air. (Listen especially to her version of "The First Noel" as you've never heard it before - wow!) You will not be disappointed!
A must have Christmas CD.:
To have Sarah sing Christmas songs is just pure joy.
A must have for all Sarah fans!
Wintersong by Sarah MacLaughlin:
This is a lovely album to listen leading up to Christmas. Traditional as well as new songs, sung in Sarah MacLaughlin's original and unique style
Tracks:
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - Sarah McLachlan, The Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach Children's Choir and Youth Choir,
What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
River
Wintersong
I'll Be Home for Christmas
O Little Town of Bethlehem
First Noel/Mary Mary
Silent Night
Song for a Winter's Night
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
In the Bleak Mid-Winter
Christmas Time Is Here - Diana Krall, Sarah McLachlan
