Pentatonix Adds International Flair to Their Latest Christmas Offering
Every year, I check to see if Pentatonix has a new Christmas release. I figure at some point, they will have to stop since I think they’ve covered just about every Christmas classic at this point. But they are back this year with Holidays Around the World. It’s a fun release.
Keeping in mind what I said earlier, it’s not a surprise to me that there are some repeats popping up here. But these are fresh, fun, new arrangements, so I’m not complaining.
We also get instruments on more tracks that we usually do from Pentatonix. Their harmonies are still front and center, but it is a change for sure.
The disc opens with Meghan Trainer joining them as they cover her song “Kid on Christmas.” As a kid myself at Christmas, I appreciate this song. It is fun and a great way to start things off.
Next comes “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” with guest Magatte Fall. This is the first song on the disc I know Pentatonix has done in the past, but they give it a fresh African flair here, and I love the result.
They keep the African flavor going with “Love Came on Christmas,” which is a combination of “Joy to the World” and “Kumama Papa.” This time, they are joined by Grace Lokwa. Again, this is a fun take on a Christmas staple, and you’ll find yourself smiling as you listen.
It’s just Pentatonix for “Star on Top,” a Christmas love song. I’m not familiar with it, but it’s a cute song. Probably not one I’d have tracked down on my own, but it’s good. Again, they are backed by instruments.
The instruments stick around for “Prayers for the World,” a song that expresses our desires for a better, more peaceful world. And praying to God is the only way things will truly change.
We are off to Lebanon for the next track, a new take on “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Hiba Tawaji joins them here, and sings a verse in Lebanese. Their original take on the song is one of my favorite versions of this carol of all time, so this version had a hard task ahead of it. I like it, don’t get me wrong, and if Pentatonix had not recorded this song yet, I would be very happy with it. But it will have to be happy with second best Pentatonix version of the song. It’s a fun, inventive take on the song, so if you want something different, you’ll enjoy it.
Our next stop is the Philippians for a cover of Jose Mari Chan’s “Christmas in Our Hearts.” I hadn’t heard this one before, but I love the sentiment about keeping Jesus and what His birth means to our in our hearts all year long. They are joined here by Lea Salonga.
Next we head to Mexico for a cover of “Feliz Navidad.” La Santa Cecilia joins them, and the guitars and maracas give them a fun feel that immediately makes it feel like we are in Mexico listening to a mariachi band doing the song. I don’t have too many versions of this song in my collection, so it’s nice to get it again. I think it will become a favorite.
Up next is “Last Christmas,” which features Hikakin & Seikin. This one has a Japanese pop flavor, although I’m not familiar enough with international pop to recognize that fact right away. Again, this isn’t a song that I have lots of versions of. Their take on it is fun, and I’m enjoying it.
We close things out with a trip to the UK and “Silent Night.” The King’s Singers join them, and the harmonies with all those voices are absolutely wonderful.
Obviously, this has a wide variety of styles to it. That keeps it from seeming like just another Christmas release, which can be helpful in the middle of December. It might not be the one you pull out on Christmas morning, however. I think the variety keeps it from being a top tier Pentatonix release for me because it feels a bit fractured, but I still like it, and I really appreciate their attempts to do something different.
Fans of Pentatonix will definitely want to add Holidays Around the World to their collection. It might take a couple of listens to fully appreciate, but it is a fun addition to any Christmas music collection.
I haven't purchased a Christmas album in a while, this sounds good
ReplyDeleteKid on Christmas is an original written by Matt & Kevin, Star on Top and Prayers for this World are also originals. Love Came On Christmas also has some original verses. The album makes more sense when you find out it was inspired by their Disney Christmas Special “Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holiday. Unfortunately they weren’t allowed to use any of those arrangements on this album.
ReplyDeletePrayers For This World was written by Diane Warren orig for Cher. I don’t think she released it.
DeleteThe download version of this album includes two additional tracks, Jingle Bells with Lang Lang and another original called Invincible with Shreya Ghoshal
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