 |
Your Future Nostalgia. Today. | ||
| www.asmzine.com / www.alteredstatesmag.com | |||
| September 2, 2010 |
|
 |
Barenaked Ladies
|
|
||
|
There is an inherent problem in reviewing a Barenaked Ladies album. It's not trying to figure out if you liked the album; it's trying to find the right words to describe it.
And that is the situation facing me as I listen to "Barenaked for the Holidays", the first holiday-themed BNL CD. Much like the other albums the band has released, it can't be easily classified. Well, okay, it can -- it's holiday music. But peering beyond that, we see some of the same beautiful harmonies, catchy rhythms, and turns of phrases for which BNL has become known.
So, let's break it down. "Barenaked for the Holidays" can be separated into several musical categories. You have religious Christmas music, such as "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings" (an older BNL tune featuring Sarah McLachlan.) You have secular Christmas music, such as "Christmas Pics". You have Hanukkah music, such as "I Have a Little Dreidel". And you have songs simply for the winter season, such as "Snowman". Or you could group them into classics, such as "I Saw Three Ships"; modern, such as "Wonderful Christmastime"; and original, like "Christmastime (Oh Yeah)".
But the way I want to look at this albums is thus: respectful, such as "Hanukkah Blessings"; whimsical, such as "Deck the Stills"; and cheesy, like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".
The songs that are done respectfully are done beautifully. I'm not Jewish, but I thoroughly enjoyed two of the Hanukkah songs. "Hanukkah Blessings" paints a portrait of a family lighting a Menorah and telling the stories of the holiday in the Hebrew language, while "Hanukkah, O Hanukkah" is BNL's take on a holiday song that includes a Jewish prayer and blessing and brings to mind an image of a feast and dancing. Singer Steven Page once said that he probably wouldn't write Hanukkah songs, but I'm very glad he changed his mind.
Continuing in the mode of respectful songs, "Footprints", while not a tune for any specific holiday, makes you imagine you're with singer Ed Robertson through a trek on a snowy twilight. "Christmas Pics" puts you smack-dab in the middle of bassist Jim Creegan's celebration, and "Snowman", in a bit of a mood shift, peers into the rather somber thoughts of a child's creation. Long time popular holiday music fans will also recognize the cover of "Do They Know It's Christmastime?", a popular staple at BNL holiday shows.
The whimsical songs are the ones that most casual fans of BNL would expect to appear on the album, and two songs in particular stand out. "Elf's Lament" is, in my opinion, the signature song, the stand-out piece of this album. Nearly everything about this song is perfect, and you can't help but smile when you listen. From the zydeco-esque rhythms laid down by Jim, keyboardist Kevin Hearn and drummer Tyler Stewart, to the harmonies, to the story being told, this song is a new Christmas classic, or at least should be if there's any justice in the world. If this tale of elves fighting the employment establishment up at the North Pole isn't played on radio stations this holiday season, something's wrong with the universe.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention special guest vocalist Michael Bublé. From the moment he started singing, I knew this song was extra special. His voice has a bit of a gruffness to it, one that stands out from Ed or Steven, but it fits perfectly. And when he harmonizes with them? Watch out ears; you're in for a treat.
The other stand out whimsical song is -- well, if you don't have the album yet and want to remain unspoiled, I suggest skipping a few paragraphs. "Jingle Bells" starts off with a breathtakingly beautiful piano arrangement. Steven sings almost mournfully, and you can almost visualize the horse-drawn sleigh gently passing by the frozen lake where the Peanuts characters ice-skate, the old holiday classic a complement to "Christmastime Is Here."
Then the horse breaks into a gallop, the nitrous-oxide boosters are lit, the sleigh jumps the fence, and the song careens into something that defies description. This song is more than whimsical; it's demented. And it's a dementia that's hilarious to listen to.
As for the third category, the cheesy? Well, it's with these songs that I find fault with the album. They sound as if Kevin pulled out an old $85 Casio keyboard and set up a default drum beat. (He may have done just that, for all I know). While I understand that BNL wants to have fun with these songs, and that they chose to arrange them with the high cheese factor, the songs just don't fit easily into my own personal aesthetic. They're not bad, per se; I just can't warm up to them enough to listen to them repeatedly.
But on the whole, "Barenaked for the Holidays" provides a whole album of holiday songs to enjoy. I certainly do, and so should you. Whether it's the Christmas classics redone BNL-style or BNL original tunes both old and new, if you pick up this album, you'll be treated to some truly wonderful musical moments -- some gorgeous, some hilarious, some soothing, some somber, and some upbeat.
Being the masters of lyrics and music that they are, sometimes the members of the Barenaked Ladies give you many of those moments all in the same song. And that's a kind of surprise you shouldn't mind getting in your stocking.
Copyright © 1999 - 2005 ASM Productions
A SkyJammer Enterprises Publication
ASM is not responsible for content of offsite links.
