R*Philippines
12-18-2006, 10:40 PM
Review MUSICBy John Godfrey and King Durkee
Joy: A Holiday Christmas Collection;
Jewel;
Atlantic
The folk-pop singer Jewel possesses two public personae: There's the edgy, coffeehouse crooner Jewel who sings teen-centric pop tunes, and then there's the doting daugther Jewel who does embarrassing things such as yodeling with her mother on national televisions.
Jewel's first Christmas album, Joy: A Holiday Collection, is one part cool Jewel, 12 parts geek. As for the cool quotient, well, "Face Of Love" is a smart, catchy pop tune in the spirit of "You Were Meant For Me" and "Who Will Save Your Soul?" What's more, "Face of Love" is a shrewd addition to the record because it doesn't sound much like a Christmas song. Yes there's a spiritual message to the tune , and Jewel sings about experiencing the "grace of God, the face of love." But make no mistake about it: This song is designed for Top 40 airplay and heavy rotation on MTV long after the holiday season passes. Aside from this track, however, Jewel plays this holiday album all too straight. Her cooing, somewhat baby-voiced takes on "Joy to the World," "Silent Night" and "Winter Wonderland" are fine, but they're also unremarkable. Jewel gamely attemps a couple of hard-to-sing Yuletide classics, including "O Holy Night" and "Ave Maria," and does OK. She has the pipes to hit all of the high notes, but not the training or texture to deliver those spiraling falsettos with the necessary authority.
Joy: A Holiday Christmas Collection;
Jewel;
Atlantic
The folk-pop singer Jewel possesses two public personae: There's the edgy, coffeehouse crooner Jewel who sings teen-centric pop tunes, and then there's the doting daugther Jewel who does embarrassing things such as yodeling with her mother on national televisions.
Jewel's first Christmas album, Joy: A Holiday Collection, is one part cool Jewel, 12 parts geek. As for the cool quotient, well, "Face Of Love" is a smart, catchy pop tune in the spirit of "You Were Meant For Me" and "Who Will Save Your Soul?" What's more, "Face of Love" is a shrewd addition to the record because it doesn't sound much like a Christmas song. Yes there's a spiritual message to the tune , and Jewel sings about experiencing the "grace of God, the face of love." But make no mistake about it: This song is designed for Top 40 airplay and heavy rotation on MTV long after the holiday season passes. Aside from this track, however, Jewel plays this holiday album all too straight. Her cooing, somewhat baby-voiced takes on "Joy to the World," "Silent Night" and "Winter Wonderland" are fine, but they're also unremarkable. Jewel gamely attemps a couple of hard-to-sing Yuletide classics, including "O Holy Night" and "Ave Maria," and does OK. She has the pipes to hit all of the high notes, but not the training or texture to deliver those spiraling falsettos with the necessary authority.