Recapturing
childlike wonder
Christmas Stories
Artist: Jenny &
Tyler (www.jennyandtyler.com)
Length: 9 songs/35
minutes
Label: Residence
Music
On Christmas
Stories Jenny & Tyler succeed in making eight classics and
one new song their own. The opening “Christmastime” is an
original written by Jenny, Tyler and Trent Monk. Among the many
seasonal references the song expresses the hope of finding childlike
wonder. With the help of producer Ben Shive this is what the album
accomplishes.
As with several of
the songs there is a classic feel with a light jazz backing. This,
however, is not the whole story.
The fourth track,
“The Maker of the Sun and Moon,” an old British hymn, has a
markedly different sound. It’s more like a soft rock anthem. It has
a driving rhythm that is propelled by light percussion and strumming
with some beautiful acoustic accents.
It also marks the
turn to praise and worship:
O Perfect Love
Outpassing Sight
O Brilliant One
O Radiant Light
The chorus above may
represent Jenny & Tyler’s contribution as they share the credit
for the songwriting.
Again, there is
somewhat of a change-up on the next song, “O Holy Night.” Jenny
sings the first part like a tender lullaby with just sparse
instrumentation before Tyler joins in with a fuller sound. The
background is somewhat ethereal, which is a welcome change from
over-produced versions. Too much production is not a problem on this
release.
It would be easy to
overlook the two instrumentals because they are short in length. That
would be a mistake. Together they provide a tender, magical interlude
and an elegant benediction.
“Handel’s
Messiah” is the longest track, being a medley of highlights from
the famous piece. The arrangements are different enough to enable the
listener to experience this anew. Overly familiar pieces don’t
require as much attention. This had me listening more carefully, and
I was impressed by how the different parts present the complete story
of Christ, from before His advent to His exaltation.
“White Christmas”
is a delight with initially just acoustic guitar backing. As with
“I’ll Be Home” the pace is relaxed. The words and sounds are
crystalline.
This is the first
time Ben Shive has worked with Jenny & Tyler but not his first
Christmas effort. Together they have done a marvelous job of helping
listeners feel a bit of wonder through a variety of styles.
