Kristine's clubland roots trace back to the early 90s when she worked with Rollo to produce Land of the Living, easily one of the best dance albums of all time. For this holiday-themed EP, she wisely chose to work with British producers Love to Infinity (LTI) and Paul Goodyear to infuse a pop sensibility to the club friendly sounds for three of the new songs. The results are spectacular.
Two new songs co-written by Kristine and LTI, "Mr. Christmas" (purchase/download) and "Everyday's a Holiday" (purchase/download) kick off the set. Writing new holiday music is a challenge and very few modern songs become a standard, yet "Mr Christmas" has a chance of becoming part of the canon. The effervescent joy of the song glitters on the pop disco beats. Equally special is "Everyday's a Holiday," which, without the jingle intro, would be appropriate to play throughout the year since it's not holiday specific. This is fun pop disco music which would sound great on the radio.
"Hard Candy Christmas" is another great dance production - this time updating the song originally sung by Dolly Parton and the cast of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The energy and fun of Kristine's version matches that of RuPaul's campy twirl a few years ago. One minor quibble, Kristine sounds so good and we wonder why her vocals are turned down so low in the mix.
Kristine's previous holiday releases "Oh, Holy Night" and "Mary Did You Know" sound better on this CD than I remember. Either they are mastered better or slightly updated - I can't place why, but they both sound really good.
While some may consider covering "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music going a bit too cliche - showtunes and holiday music together - I say drop the pretension and enjoy it for what it is. Though downtempo in production, can't you just imagine a sick drag queen performing this?
Those not familiar with Kristine W may wonder why she has such an insanely devoted and loyal following. Listen to the bonus track "The Wonder of It All" (purchase/download) and you will hear why. Anyone who has every seen Kristine W perform live can't help but be transformed into a fan. Kristine is an incredible singer and this recording of "The Wonder of It All" captures the energy, power and emotion of Kristine live. Since so many ballads get remixed into dance records, its nice to see Kristine W transform one of her best club records into an unplugged ballad, accompanied by pianist Jim Brickman.
Even if you are wary of spending your money on holiday music that will only be played for a couple of weeks, this EP should still be on the top of your list to explore. Its great music that just happens to be holiday music. The tracks "Everyday's a Holiday" and "Wonder Of It All" will sound as good in July as they do in December.
Shining like a gem above a mountain of holiday themed music, Kristine W's "Hey Mr. Christmas" is an essential holiday purchase for dance/electronica fans.
Released November 2008 on Fly Again Music
