Ernie Halter — Christmas Album

For Under the Radar artist Ernie Halter, there's no need for bells and whistles. Halter's 8-track holiday disc, is precisely that: an honest, raw, and soulfully stripped-down Mayer-Mraz-esque mix. The opener, "Angels We Have Heard on High," is more drummer boy than classic French carol. Acoustic renditions of "Silver Bells" and "Silent Night" easily transport each listener to downtown streets lined with wreaths and bright lights, while his take on Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" features enough hand claps to make the Fedora-donning Mr. Mraz tip his hat. It's a noble effort—but as is Christmas tradition, things don't always mix. "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "The First Noel" feature crystal-clear acoustics, but Halter overpowers, his near-nasal vocals too heavy for such delicate songs. But he readily recovers his niche with the bluesy, thumping backbeats and tight harmonies of "The Christmas Song" and "Joy to the World." In the end, Halter pulls it all together—and that alone is... Read More »

The Very Best of: ‘Traditional’ Christmas Songs

With this most successful of public holidays basically around the corner, it is inevitable that every record label, pop artist and his dog will be in a mad rush to release a song for the shopping crowds. A synthed monstrosity with a key change just after the second verse, or a tinny cover of "Last Christmas" sung by a teeny bopper that is just one notch away from being muzak in and of itself. You know the kind. But I'm not writing about those. Nor am I writing about the more valuable Christmas offerings, like those offered by the Killers every other year or so. No, this is a hug, an ode to some of those Christmas songs that everyone knows. Yes, they plague every department store you muster the courage to enter for your Christmas shopping and yes, they will be pumped out at Christmas work parties and coffee houses. If you are unlucky enough... Read More »