We Wish You A Merry She & Him Christmas

Album cover of She & Him's new Christmas album.

Imagine a warm crackling fireplace, antique Christmas ornaments and a breathtaking view of the ocean during a California December. That is the essence of She & Him’s newest album: “A Very She & Him Christmas” (2011). Each song presents an easygoing, mellow and altogether enjoyable sound, perfect for a quiet evening at home or a relaxed get-together with friends.

Christmas covers have become quite the trend in the music industry this holiday season. Both pop sensation Justin Bieber and the equally popular crooner Michael Buble released highly anticipated albums featuring a mix of original songs and covers. She & Him, comprised of actress-turned-singer Zooey Deschanel and musician Matthew Ward, offers a more mellow option to throw into the mix.

Staying true to the indie rock genre, Deschanel and Ward transformed twelve Christmas favorites into raw stripped down simplicity. Deschanel’s lilting tones give songs like “Silver Bells” and “The Christmas Song” a new twist, lending hipster holiday magic to the season. The whole album is easily something you would hear in “avant-garde” stores like Urban Outfitters or the more refined Anthropologie, airy and carefree as every track is. Think Ingrid Michaelson meets Jack Johnson. If listeners hope to find anything different from previous albums, they will be disappointed. Deschanel’s voice rings pure and unique and Ward’s instrumental accompaniment leave no room for anything but pure She & Him.

Refreshing and original as the covers are, one can’t help comparing Deschanel’s lighter and undeniably weaker vocal qualities in “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” to Judy Garland’s rich, resonant rendition, featured in the classic film “Meet Me In St. Louis.” The cover is not unpleasant, just a bit anticlimactic in comparison. After all, covering classics from greats like Celine Dion or Barbara Streisand is a risk too. Ward’s acoustic riffs are particularly relaxing and especially prominent in “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” though his vocals are puzzlingly absent in every song. Past albums featured both artists’ vocal talents. No matter though as Deschanel’s unique voice more than makes up for the lack of male vocals.

Deschanel does a wonderful job of interspersing playful with sentimental, energetic with mellow. “A Very She & Him Christmas” makes for a nice complement to seasonal albums with the richer, traditional tones of Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole and creates variety from jazz holiday favorites like Vince Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” soundtrack and Kenny G’s Christmas album, but whether it can stand by itself is questionable. Still, there is little doubt that future Christmas movies will hasten to add their songs to their soundtracks.

Photo from Stereogum.com

Christmas At Biola

Biola welcomes students, faculty and other guests to the concert.

Set against a backdrop of snowy white lace (an alternative to the traditional projector), twinkling lights and wreaths of holly, Biola University’s annual Christmas concert showcased the talented school ensembles including the chorale, studio orchestra and the six-man acapella group The King’s Men. Staying true to the university’s Christian roots, the concert did a fantastic job of leading the audience through the festivities of American Christmas traditions to a tribute to the soldiers overseas, (“I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and finally landing on the true reason for the season: Christ.

The school ensembles end with a lively performance of Glory! Glory! Taken by Heather Tanji

The show took off with a lighthearted and fun opening of “Sleigh Bells,” emphasizing the strong unity between the string section and the percussions although the brass section could have been tighter in their synchronization. The overall dynamics of the piece was excellent, not too loud and not too soft, creating an atmosphere of lively yet muted Christmas cheer. The orchestra continued to give a strong performance throughout the show, particularly during a medley of “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and a jazz rendition of “Jingle Bells.” If you were to close your eyes you might feel as if you were in the midst of a Disneyland Christmas parade.

Easily the strongest performers in the group, The King’s Men excelled in their harmonies, mesmerizing the audience with soulful stylings of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Road to Zion.” Senior Arnold Geis stood out in particular with his perfect pitch and stellar tenor range. Soloist Matthew Kellaway was equally impressive as he sang “The Promise.” His vibrato and pitch control created a compelling picture of Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah’s arrival, from his deep bass to a surprisingly beautiful falsetto.

The female soloists didn’t fare so well. Kristin Tucker—another senior singer—put far too many theatrics into her performance of “Grown-Up Christmas List,” creating the wrong tone altogether as she gave more Broadway than subdued sentiment. Her over-the-top vocals contrasted poorly with the lyrics, especially given the war and recent natural disasters of the past year. Lauren Bartels voice was not strong enough to carry her through “O Holy Night.” Her tone was pitchy, lacking the fullness needed to properly accentuate the dynamics the song requires.

The chorale stayed in perfect pitch throughout every song, sounding united as every singing group should be. Unfortunately, their volume was poorly mismatched with the studio orchestra, the brass and strings often overpowering the vocals. Still, the audience seemed to enjoy the program, from the joyful tones of the Christmas carols to the somber harkening of Christ’s birth and the triumphant ending of “Glory, Glory!” ending in satisfied applause and a spurt or two of fake snow.

"Heart Of Manger" taken from Biola University site