Renée Landry is back with a new EP just two months after releasing her swinging, motown, pop infused album “Chin Up” in October – see our review here. Capturing the “sound” of Christmas is frankly quite hard, especially to do so without leaning too hard on worn out tropes or sounding hokey. Landry doesn’t fall into these traps, she draws on musical and lyrical themes that evoke the season with panache and grace for this all-original EP, “A Christmas Night.” Each of the three tunes is quite stylistically different and together serve as a fantastic addition to your Christmas playlist.
“What do I Want for Christmas” is a beautifully executed Christmas love ballad. Landry’s voice carries the song, well supported by piano and strings – it’s lush, but not too busy. She really shows off her vocal range and sultry timbre, gliding through the song. But she leaves in the some of the materiality of her voice adding wonderful colour and depth to the song.
“A Christmas Night” borrows some of the aural signifiers of Christmas songs, twinkling piano (almost in the the style of a music box) with slow moving, swelling strings, and glockenspiel. Haunting yet still heartening, this little minor key Christmas song sounds like is a rejoinder to classic carols like, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” or “Carol of the Bells.” It really brings the quiet magic of a dark and still Christmas eve.
“Santa, Bring Me a Reindeer” is a fun little jazz ditty with lively horns, energetic bass, and cheerful piano. It’s a cute, upbeat tune and is a vehicle for Landry to show off her personality – it reminds me a lot of the her style on “Chin Up,” it’s tongue-in-cheek and uber playful, with lots of style and musical flair.
Check out the EP here: https://reneelandryofficial.bandcamp.com/
For more info and to keep up with Landry’s comings and goings like her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rmoniquelandry/
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