Friday 12 December 2014

Advent reviews 10!




The Roger Whittaker Christmas Album

Emma: **.5
Charlie: ***

Emma: There's nothing really wrong with this album, I just feel like I'm listening to it thirty odd years late. These are true Folk Songs from the true Folk Song period of music history, and their gentle, sweet ways are lovely (all originals from what I can tell, except the whistled lullaby. Which, by the way, is worth 5 stars. WHAT A WHISTLER!), but not for me, now. Sorry Roger. I do love your whistling.

Charlie: Full of accomplished songwriting, ambitious production, and 100% fully-committed delivery, this is the perfect album for someone— kids, for sure, and folk fans— and probably anyone willing to sit down, face the stereo, and play the whole thing with no distractions. It's a sort of folk concept album full of storytelling and dramatic flourishes. Which makes it not really work at all for our purposes of "Christmas playlist" reviewing, although I'm very glad it exists, out there in the world. (Also, Roger's photo on the album cover is so genuine and open*, it makes me hope he's doing well out there, even though I know nothing about him other than that he's made this album. Merry Christmas, Roger!)

*and, to be fair, a bit like my dad as a younger man, which might explain some of this.

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