Single For Christmas (Music Review: Christmas Singles: Michael Buble, Shane Dawson, Linda Eder)

How about some Christmas singles? I think in this age of digital downloads, the single thrives. For a cool ninety-nine cents, (or $129 on iTunes sometimes) you can get your favorite artist's Chritsmas thrill - in some cases these things even become collector's items. Most of these even benefit charities, so all is good. 

Michael Buble had a Christmas special the other day, and unfortunately I wasn't able to see it. (I'm sure it was good - his Christmas album was) Apparently one of the highlights was the ubiquitous gimmick: I call it the "duet with the dead" that was popularized by Natalie Cole when she did that duet with her father years ago.Michael does a duet with Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas"  I don't know if it worked in the Christmas special (I am sure the visuals would help the song) but in the single, it falls flat. There isn't enough of either singer, and the too-short arrangement makes you feel like you lost. Buble's voice should sound vibrant and current, but here it doesn't. Maybe this will finally put a nail on the coffin of this trend. I do still want to see the Christmas special, though. I hope they repeat it. 

I don't know who Shane Dawson is. Apparently he is some YouTube sensation known for making videos wherein he impersonates celebrities. I don't know why he released a Christmas single, but it's not bad. Set in a pop-rock beat, it starts out very cynical about the holidays, but in the chorus turns hopeful. I like the big catchy lyric: "Maybe this year I won't be sad for Christmas."  We have all felt that, haven't we? I don't know if I will ever listen to the song again, but I am sure his fans could (and have) have worse. The song has that ironic-hipster vibe, and I don't even know if that represents who Mr. Dawson is. Oh God, I suddenly feel so old.

Linda Eder, via her fan club, has given an mp3 gift to her fans: "Christmas Where You Are," an original song she recorded. It's apparently been part of her Holiday repertoire, and it's a good song. I have always had a fondness for her voice: it's creamy and strong without the iciness of, say a Celine or a Barbra. I still think that she will be forever be the best musical muse of Frank Wildhorn. This song has that message of asking someone you have loved and lost: do you celebrate as I do? Are you as sad as I am that we aren't together? It's my favorite among these three singles.