LABEL: ESSENTIAL RECORDS
RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 18, 2011

easonal music often suffers an identity crisis every year with acts trying to reinvent or reimagine familiar songs in hopes to ensure they stay relevant.  One Silent Night represents a much needed departure from the flood of revisionist Christmas albums, it is a stripped down approach to familiar songs. The album shines not only because of it’s approach but also through the wonderfully talented and under-appreciated FFH, this album marks the 9th studio release. The album also features original Christmas inspired music as well as the time honored classics.

While this album offers a stripped down, more classical approach to familiar and well traveled Christmas songs it is neither boring nor uninspired. The musical additions to these songs are subtle, a classical style guitar, a bit of a jazz twist here, a slightly wandering violin here, but each song has something slight different to offer the listener. This is truly a Christmas album that will please both those wanting a slightly new twist on familiar songs and those who want to avoid the blatantly trendy Christmas albums that never seem to age well.

The original version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is one of the duets in music can never really be outdone, and the version in this album does not try to outshine the original by sheer force. Instead it adds a bit of a modern jazz twist to the song which is noted for having such carefree lyrics. The result is a fun track that has enough twists that it holds its own against the endless amounts of covers of this classic track. It is impossible to resist the urge to  smile listening to such a perfectly carefree, flirtatious track.

“Birthday of the King” is one of the only busy tracks on the album occasionally filling the air with too much sound. It is a sincere, expansive track that even at its worse moment does not sound bad, just too heavy compared to the direct crisp simplicity of the rest of the album. It is the only track that stands in a negative light, but it is still an enjoyable track that feels genuine and beautiful.

“Winter Wonderland” features all the familiar trapping that every iteration of this track can not resist, and for sentimentality sake that is a great thing. The song itself is easily one of the staples of the Christmas season and it is one of the hardest to change. This is track is one of the best examples of FFH doing just enough to keep the track close to its sentimental, classic roots while making it a bit more polished then it exists in our memory. The most noticeable addition to this version is the slightly bluesy guitar riff and FFH’s playful sing-song delivery.

One Silent Night is a great example of the less is more philosophy in remaking what are the most recognizable and memorable songs around. With a bit of restraint FFH added just enough to make an album feel inspired but not brutalizing much loved songs by trying to make them match the current fickle trends in music. It is a direct, endearing album that isn’t filled with filler noise, gimmicks or musical showboating. This is an album that will please every generation of music listener.