Customs: pop, rock and yet contemplative: Christmas albums 2022

It's a bit like marzipan - you either love it or hate it.

Customs: pop, rock and yet contemplative: Christmas albums 2022

It's a bit like marzipan - you either love it or hate it. The situation is similar when it comes to Christmas songs. The correspondents of the German Press Agency listened to the current Christmas albums and discovered many a record that still brings joy after repeated listening:

Contemplation in a soulful, rocking cloak

Sarah Connor (42) creates a good mood during the Advent season with "Not So Silent Night", her second Christmas album after 2005. The 13 English songs come in the typical Connor style: pop with rock and soul elements. She worked on the songs in February on the Greek island of Santorini. Her longing for lightness and fun at the time is reflected in songs like "Not So Silent Night" or "Don't You Know That It's Christmas". But it also becomes contemplative. Especially when the mother of four remembers her grandmother, who died in 2019, in "Santa If You're There". "My beloved grandmother was the first person from my very close environment to die. She was a reference person with whom I spent a large part of my childhood," said Connor in the dpa interview.

Soulful and festive with a pinch of kitsch

Joss Stone (35) has one more reason to celebrate this Christmas. The soul icon has just become a mother for the second time. "I can't believe how lucky I am in my life right now," Stone said on the release of her first Christmas album. The Brit with the exceptional voice recorded "Merry Christmas, Love" during her pregnancy. She sings evergreens like "Jingle Bells" and "White Christmas" or cult hits like Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means To Me". Two wonderful original compositions, "If You Believe" and "Bring On Christmas Day", line up perfectly in between. On the 16 songs, the 35-year-old is accompanied by a big band or an ensemble with a choir. Stylistically, "Merry Christmas, Love" is close to the tradition of great Christmas albums by Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald - a bit of swing, a bit of jazz and a bit of kitsch.

Snowflake nostalgia for boy band fans new and old

Nostalgics will also get their money's worth with the Backstreet Boys, because their album "A Very Backstreet Christmas" brings together traditional pieces like "White Christmas" alongside brand new melodies like "Happy Days", which create a festive atmosphere. "I love the classic songs on our album that we grew up with around Christmas," band member Brian Littrell told dpa. "I think the album is one of our best works." Fans will surely recognize the boys' youthful sound. Because the slick pop melodies familiar from the now-established fathers of the family, which once made them famous, weave their way through the record's sweet touch of Christmassy contemplation.

Pure deceleration with a jazzy Armstrong sound

The distinctive voice of Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) helped shape the sound of the 40s, 50s and 60s. The jazz trumpeter from New Orleans also interpreted many classics - including Christmas carols. A selection of them has now been collected on an album for the first time: "Louis Armstrong - Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule" combines ten songs - including classics such as "Winter Wonderland", "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Velma Middleton and "I' ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" with Ella Fitzgerald on the record. It is almost magical how relaxing, even decelerating, the Armstrong sound is when listening to it. And for fans of the legendary musician nicknamed "Satchmo", the long overdue record of Armstrong's complete Christmas work is a must anyway.

Dash through the festival with a swinging swing

"It's Christmas Eve Tonight" - the name of the Christmas album by the band Andrej and The Swingin' Hermlins says it all. The musicians whiz through the festival of festivals with verve and good humor. The band has also put classics in big band sound in the style of the 30s and 40s on the album - including "Jingle Bells" and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". When you listen to the album, your cheeks turn red with anticipation of Christmas. No wonder: "Swing is the best medicine against the crises of our time, especially at Christmas," said Andrej Hermlin of the dpa. For those who prefer to see their authentic swing band live and want to be carried away: the swing dance orchestra is currently on tour with the program.

Celebrate with cumbia, guitars and bells

The Los Bitchos have gained a growing fan base with their retro sound in the cumbia style of the 70s and 80s. At the beginning of the year, the four Londoners released their debut album "Let The Festivities Begin", which is now being released in an extended edition as a Christmas version. The two new, mostly instrumental songs "Los Chrismos" and "Tipp Tapp" are, apart from a few bells, not intrusively Christmassy. They offer a pleasant change to everyone who is tired of the usual classics on the radio. Both songs are also included on the "Los Chrismos EP", which, with only two tracks, is actually more of a single than an EP (extended play). So the Londoners' full album is sure to look good under the Christmas tree, as this cool record, available on CD and vinyl, is a treat before and after Christmas.

NEXT NEWS