I’ve by no means been one for Christmas—by no means acquired the hype. The blinking lights, the overconsumption, the strain to really feel joyous at a time when the world feels particularly chilly and darkish? Rely me out. But, like so many Christmas skeptics, I’m an absolute sucker for Christmas music. There’s one thing concerning the environment it creates—whether or not it’s the shimmering jazziness of Vince Guaraldi or the unabashedly kitschy pop of a Mariah Carey hit—that makes it laborious to withstand. And so, yearly, I begrudgingly succumb to the onslaught of jingles and anthems, grateful for the few songs that handle to face out from the insanity. Enter Susannah B and her tackle “Christmas Time Is Right here.”
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As somebody who grew up on A Charlie Brown Christmas—with its melancholic jazz soundtrack and quiet, contemplative moments that stand in stark distinction to the standard vacation hoopla—Susannah’s model of “Christmas Time Is Right here” instantly caught my consideration. The music itself is a sentimental favourite, undeniably linked to childhood recollections of Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, and it’s at all times had a subdued, introspective vibe that resonated with me as a child. Not like the brash cheeriness of most Christmas songs, Guaraldi’s composition has at all times felt like a mirrored image of the vacation’s quieter, extra significant points.
Susannah B’s rendition faucets into this reflective vitality however brings a recent, trendy edge to it. She’s not attempting to duplicate the unique A Charlie Brown Christmas recording (fortunately), nor does she over-sweeten it with a heavy-handed association. As an alternative, she builds on the foundational jazz piano with a delicate electrical guitar that subtly shifts the music into new territory. The guitar isn’t flashy—it’s tender, understated, and serves to provide the observe a up to date heat, like a comfortable, acquainted sweater with simply sufficient stretch to make it really feel new. Her vocals, in fact, are the star of the present. Susannah’s voice is like honey—clean and comforting, however with simply sufficient chunk to maintain issues attention-grabbing. The place the unique’s kids’s choir had a way of innocence, Susannah’s supply is mature, full of a quiet craving that’s simple to narrate to, particularly in the event you’ve spent sufficient time wading via the vacation season with a raised eyebrow.
Now, I’ll admit, I’m not the primary particular person to get excited a few Christmas cowl, however this one—this one seems like an antidote to the over-the-top vacation cheer we’re bombarded with each December. Susannah B doesn’t scream at you to really feel festive; she invitations you right into a world the place Christmas is extra about quiet reflection and the heat of household than the commercialized spectacle. There’s one thing inherently comforting about it. It seems like the proper backdrop for winter evenings whenever you’re curled up with a guide (or in my case, a bottle of wine and a plate of cheese) and simply want one thing to settle your thoughts.
As a lot as I admire this rendition of “Christmas Time Is Right here,” I can’t assist however surprise how Susannah may method different Christmas classics. Given her capability to carry nuance and texture to a music, I’d love to listen to her tackle “River” by Joni Mitchell, with its melancholy and bittersweet tackle the vacations. She may additionally do wonders with “Have Your self a Merry Little Christmas,” turning it right into a soulful meditation on the complexities of household and custom. And, since we’re in Peanuts territory, a model of “Christmas Is Coming” from A Charlie Brown Christmas could be the proper complement to this observe—these playful piano traces, reframed via Susannah’s clean, jazz-tinged sensibilities.
In the end, Susannah B’s “Christmas Time Is Right here” captures one of the best a part of vacation music: the power to evoke the quiet magic of the season with out resorting to overindulgence. It’s a recent tackle a basic, one which provides texture and depth with out shedding the guts of the unique. And whereas I will not be able to embrace the total festive overload simply but, I’ll fortunately make room for this rendition in my vacation rotation. In spite of everything, typically one of the best a part of Christmas music is its capability to really feel like a heat, welcoming hug—simply with out the duty to put on a ridiculous sweater or bake twelve sorts of cookies.
Mindy McCall
Associated
HeartBeat4Kids
