Description
The author praises Mariah Carey's vocal range in her holiday album, noting that it works well in both pop and traditional carols. The album includes both secular and religious songs, with Carey's renditions of "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" and "All I Want for Christmas Is You" being particularly well-received. However, the author is most impressed by Carey's stripped-down performances of traditional carols, such as "Silent Night" and "Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child." The album is recommended for fans of Carey and may also surprise those who are not typically fans of her music.
She's been hailed for her multi-octave vocal range--a tool that sometimes detracts from her pop recordings, but actually works quite beautifully in the context of this charming holiday collection. Fans will surely approve of Carey's renditions of slinky secular songs like "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" and a nicely subdued "All I Want for Christmas Is You." But where she really surprises is in her unadorned delivery of a passel of traditional carols, highlighted by "Silent Night" (which she sings quietly, avoiding the temptation to wail those high notes) and "Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child." A must for diehards, and a pleasant surprise for the unconverted.
--David Sprague