Glee, by definition, is opening yourself up to joy, and the cast of “Glee” has certainly spread that joy by releasing their festive new album “Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2.”
The album kicks off with a powerful rendition of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” sung by Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones). Her soulful voice and high vocal range put the song on the same talent level as Carey’s.
“Extraordinary Merry Christmas,” a duet of a not-so-classic carol sung by Darren Criss (Blaine Anderson) and Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) is an upbeat pop tune that has a nice dance beat with lyrics that capture the spirit of Christmas.
Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) has the perfect sensual vocals for “Santa Baby,” giving the tune an edgy flair.
“Christmas Eve With You,” sung by Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester) and Jayma Mays (Emma Pillsbury), is stuck somewhere between a festive love ballad and a feel-good Christmas tune, and altogether isn’t very memorable.
“Little Drummer Boy” is a slight disappointment despite the smooth vocals of Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams). The acoustic guitar and background vocals overpower the steady drum beat in the background, detracting from the meaning of the carol.
Michele’s extraordinary vocals are showcased as a solo in “River,” but the song itself falls short of the bar set by the rest of the Christmas classics. The lyrics themselves reveal a negative outlook on Christmas, and the strange rhythms and beats clashed with rest of the album.
The next three traditional numbers, “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” “Let It Snow,” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” remind listeners of festive Christmases past. “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” sung by Lindsay Pearce and Alex Newell of the reality competition show “The Glee Project” provide strong vocals that shine on top of choral accompaniment. “Let it Snow” is filled with beautiful jazzy harmonies from Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel) and Criss. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” featuring male vocalists Mark Salling (Noah Puckerman), Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson), and Samuel Larson (“Glee Project”), doesn’t differ much from the original and is just as enjoyable to listen to as the well-known version.
“Christmas Wrapping,” sung by Heather Morris (Brittany Pierce), is a uniquely festive rap with a distinctive combination of electric guitar and wind instruments.
Damien McGinty (Rory Flanagan), a new addition to the cast, displays his mellow voice in “Blue Christmas,” a sweeter version than the original, but just as meaningful.
The majority of the cast is featured in the final song, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” ending the album on a high note despite a shaky, dark beginning to the song. After this last tune on this fantastically festive Christmas album, everyone will know exactly what season’s coming up.
Brianna Glase is a Managing Editor for the Patriot and JCpatriot.com