CD: Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas II You
Sixteen years since Mariah struck yuletide gold with her classic Christmas album, she's back again to wish everyone Merry Christmas II You. I may be showing my true colours here, but I consider Merry Christmas to be Mariah's best album by a mile. Her voice was at its peak, the track listing was inspired and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't go absolutely balls out crazy when they hear All I Want for Christmas Is You. Hell, it was June when I was in the car with one of my best friends and the song came on my iPod, but instead of skipping it and scoffing at the idea of hearing a Christmas song at that time of the year, we blasted it with the windows down.
Unfortunately, no tracks on this effort come close to the high of All I Want For Christmas Is You, but truth be told, the album is great. With four original Christmas songs, the album never feels like a quick cash grab. Christmas Time Is In The Air Again is a classic Mariah ballad, Oh Santa! sounds like a lot like Outkast's Hey Ya! but is great nonetheless, but When Christmas Comes and One Child are kind of forgettable and sound like they could have been on Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel.
The most interesting track on the album comes in the form of a cheeky hip hop reworking of Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane), which I am sure most traditionalists would find insulting, but it is this sort of swagger and charm that is missing from most of Mariah's recent releases.
But it is in the classical recordings where Mariah really shines. Oh Come All Ye Faithful is simple and understated, the live version of O Holy Night shows off Mariah's impeccable lower register and The First Noel would give anyone goose bumps.
It's hard reviewing an album like Merry Christmas II You because it is doomed to be compared to its predecessor at every opportunity. It is by no means as good as Merry Christmas but by modern pop Christmas release standards, Merry Christmas II You is fantastic. Give it a couple more weeks, put up the Christmas tree, and set up a playlist with both albums on shuffle, and you're set to get into the Christmas spirit. (Same Same)
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