Sarah Reeves is, already, a well-established songwriter in the music sphere. Having written for various artists, television and film, you may have already heard her music unbeknownst to it. Reeves has been in the industry for more than a decade trying to perfect her work and it comes as no surprise that the Pop artist has recorded a Christmas Album. Running only 22 minutes long and with 8 classic and contemporary Christmas songs, More The Merrier will bring in the Christmas cheer.
The album starts off on the titular track, More The Merrier. There’s something about Christmas songs and Jazz that just go hand in hand. I love this arrangement with the piano, guitar and strings that keep it light and upbeat. Sarah Reeves may not be related to Jim Reeves, but her music is very much like his. Every single instrument comes to life as the song plays along. It is almost as if her voice animates all these various instruments.
Moving on to a Christmas classic – Holly Jolly Christmas. Reeves’ version is so light and Jazzy it reminds me of Micheal Bublé’s. Reeves manages to create a brilliant Christmas soundscape with each instrument. I think my favourite part of Christmas arrangements is the drums are usually lighter using the brush sticks instead of the regular drum sticks. I love this song so much and Reeves has done a great job in recreating it.
Winter Wonderland is another contemporary classic that has crept into the hearts of many listeners. Sarah Reeves collaborates with Clark Beckham on this for some of the most mellifluous harmonies I’ve heard in some time. I legitimately got goosebumps listening to the harmonies on this track. The Christmas soundscape just remains throughout this album that feels like the happiest thing on the planet.
We move on to Sentimental, a track that slows down the tempo a little more. I appreciate how this takes the typically reserved Silver Bells on most Christmas albums. Sarah Reeves showcases her vocal control in this song with a lot of strong points that require a lot of practice. I find that her arrangement is absolutely impeccable. It still keeps the Christmas spirit alive while also playing this sweet melancholia.
My Favourite Things is a wonderfully crafted Jazz number that was adapted from the classic musical The Sound of Music. This is such a beautiful take. I believe Sarah Reeves will soon take over most of our Christmas playlists with her ability to one-up every composer in every part of her arrangements. Moreover, she shows such class and flair in every piece that she records.
Moving on to Go Tell It On The Mountain. As a kid, I remember singing this whenever we went carolling and to hear this arrangement was such a joy. I love how Sarah Reeves is able to make any piece so Jazzy. It’s not just about changing up how it’s sung, but the whole piece and how each element is rewritten to fit this arrangement. The little guitar solo is probably my favourite part with how playful the fretwork is. Overall, I think this has been my favourite track on the album.
Snow Globe, again, slows down the tempo as we come towards the end of the album. I find that Reeves has the ability to write beautiful pieces. I really enjoy the Nat King Cole reference. Moreover, this piece is everything we want out of Christmas. We want to preserve joy and happiness for eternity. This seems to be the theme behind this track in particular and would probably stand out as the composition that Reeves gets the most streams off of – similar to Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe.
The final track on this wonderful album is The Greatest Gift. This is, obviously, the slowest, softest track on the entire album. It starts off on a rather negative note, but in good old Christmas fashion, picks up for the protagonist to get into the Christmas cheer. This is the beauty of Christmas, I suppose. That people will help around this time of year regardless of how much they have and that’s possibly the greatest gift – humanity.
Be sure to stream More The Merrier this Christmas!
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
