White Christmas

Once, country artists used Christmas albums as an opportunity to create versions of holiday classics suitable for airplay on country radio. In the late '90s, country artists used holiday albums as an opportunity to stretch artistically--and that usually meant recording with a full orchestra. Martina McBride's WHITE CHRISTMAS, her first holiday collection, is a fine example of this trend. It finds McBride, a singer of astonishing talent and power, cradling her amazing voice in lush orchestral arrangements which occasionally, as on a track like "Let It Snow", turn whimsical. The material here is strictly classic Christmas, from secular favourites like "Silver Bells", and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" to religious ones like "What Child Is This" and "Away In A Manger".
In an attempt to mimic classic Christmas albums of the past, there's a vocal choir on many tracks, but McBride's voice is so breathtaking that you find yourself wishing they'd just be quiet and let her do all the singing. Thankfully, on the standout track, "O Holy Night", the arranger wisely lets her soaring vocals go solo. WHITE CHRISTMAS' true appeal is the warmth and emotion McBride manages to bring to Christmas standards the listener has heard countless times.|