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Album Details

• Artist: Various Artists
• Album: Winter
• Label: Nettwerk
• Year of Release: 2004
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2004-12-22

'Tis the season for a Christmas compilation. Seems strange to me that two of my favorite this year have both come from Nettwerk records. A Winter's Night is the second of the two and it really makes a lot of the other releases out this year look shallow. The album starts out with The Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan doing a fairly funky version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". They both make appearances later in the album, Sarah with a nice "Song For A Winter's Night" and The Barenaked Ladies with their own "Green Christmas". Dido does a nice version of "Christmas Day". Guster takes a crack at doing something a little different, a Spanish Christmas carol called "Donde Esta Santa Claus". It's a refreshing break from the old standards. Jack Johnson takes "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" and makes it sound like his own. But holy crap, the Avril Lavigne and Chantal Kreviazuk is worse that I could have imagined. I think Avril should stick to the heavier side of rock because I found her voice to be lacking in the delivery of "O Holy Night". In fact she sounds like a child. And it really shows when you are followed up by Lisa Hannigan's a cappella version of "Silent Night". It's beautiful! The Meryn Cadell track, "The Cat Carol" is so depressing. What's up with that? Martina Sorbara makes up for it, though, on "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year". Some other contributors include Ron Sexsmith, Mediaeval Babes, Neil Finn and Sixpence None The Richer. This is a fairly AOR Christmas compilation with a few highlights. If you are looking for a new Christmas album this year, I might suggest Nettwerk's other release this year, Maybe This Christmas Tree. But, if you do like all of these artists then why deny yourself the pleasure of hearing them sing your favorite Christmas carols.

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