The Holiday EP (Santa Will Find You)
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 5:37 pm
As already noted by Jimmy Riddle et al here and at Twitter, Libera has released a new mini-album titled The Holiday EP (Santa Will Find You)
The album can be purchased on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-holiday-ep/id1054836595
My first thoughts and impressions on the album....
Santa Will Find You
This is an unusual/unique song for them that is a deviation from their normal repertoire and style, but like many of the songs that I thought would never work for them at first glance I am happily proven wrong. The arrangement is excellent and Isaac as soloist demonstrates his true vocal range and abilities; who knew he could sing so high? We all knew he was a very talented singer but this song is a fantastic showpiece of his faculties. This is “crossover” music at its best; with just the right instrumentation and vocal/choral arrangements to not make it a modern pop song but it’s most certainly not classical-style music either. Some may think the lyrics and theme too saccharine and too secular, and they certainly are when compared to the serious biblical Latin verses of their other music, but I see this as being something that is just mainstream enough to appeal to a much wider audience than Libera usually does, but still capturing their musical essence, creativity, and innovation.
Carol of the Bells
This is one of their best Christmas songs and their arrangement of it has always been excellent. Including it on this EP was definitely justified considering that the music video has over 3 million views on YouTube. I am unable to identify the soloists but I am guessing Lucas was one of them on the high parts at the end and possibly Alex Montoro. Other than a few new voices, like Isaac at the beginning and end, the arrangement seems identical to the one from the past so no more needs to be said about this.
Angels We Have Heard On High
This being one of my top personal favorites in Libera’s Christmas genre I must say this was the only song on the album that gave me any disappointment. My first impression listening to it was that my equipment was not playing it correctly or was not giving me an accurate representation of the soundstage, but when I listened to it a few times first using speakers and then 2 different sets of high-quality headphones I realized that the mixing on it was rather flat; almost as though the acoustics in much of the recording were more representative of the “dead” sound studio in which the recording was made rather than being mixed in post-production to sound like a concert hall or cathedral. Having said that I am heavily biased on this song as it is a favorite and so perhaps I judge too harshly. Most certainly it is wonderfully arranged and performed.
Wexford Carol
This too is one of my top favorites in the Christmas genre and its execution was fantastic. I am extremely impressed with this version and with another brilliant Isaac solo. He solos a different part than he did in Armagh and in Gaelic as well; very nicely done. I have nothing but positive things to say about this song, arrangement, and recording.
The album can be purchased on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-holiday-ep/id1054836595
My first thoughts and impressions on the album....
Santa Will Find You
This is an unusual/unique song for them that is a deviation from their normal repertoire and style, but like many of the songs that I thought would never work for them at first glance I am happily proven wrong. The arrangement is excellent and Isaac as soloist demonstrates his true vocal range and abilities; who knew he could sing so high? We all knew he was a very talented singer but this song is a fantastic showpiece of his faculties. This is “crossover” music at its best; with just the right instrumentation and vocal/choral arrangements to not make it a modern pop song but it’s most certainly not classical-style music either. Some may think the lyrics and theme too saccharine and too secular, and they certainly are when compared to the serious biblical Latin verses of their other music, but I see this as being something that is just mainstream enough to appeal to a much wider audience than Libera usually does, but still capturing their musical essence, creativity, and innovation.
Carol of the Bells
This is one of their best Christmas songs and their arrangement of it has always been excellent. Including it on this EP was definitely justified considering that the music video has over 3 million views on YouTube. I am unable to identify the soloists but I am guessing Lucas was one of them on the high parts at the end and possibly Alex Montoro. Other than a few new voices, like Isaac at the beginning and end, the arrangement seems identical to the one from the past so no more needs to be said about this.
Angels We Have Heard On High
This being one of my top personal favorites in Libera’s Christmas genre I must say this was the only song on the album that gave me any disappointment. My first impression listening to it was that my equipment was not playing it correctly or was not giving me an accurate representation of the soundstage, but when I listened to it a few times first using speakers and then 2 different sets of high-quality headphones I realized that the mixing on it was rather flat; almost as though the acoustics in much of the recording were more representative of the “dead” sound studio in which the recording was made rather than being mixed in post-production to sound like a concert hall or cathedral. Having said that I am heavily biased on this song as it is a favorite and so perhaps I judge too harshly. Most certainly it is wonderfully arranged and performed.
Wexford Carol
This too is one of my top favorites in the Christmas genre and its execution was fantastic. I am extremely impressed with this version and with another brilliant Isaac solo. He solos a different part than he did in Armagh and in Gaelic as well; very nicely done. I have nothing but positive things to say about this song, arrangement, and recording.