Christmas Songs for the King
Posted October 05, 2009
By IronJedi,
Downhere our Dove, Juno and Covenant award-winning neighbors from the north have thrown their collective hats into the holiday ring with the October 6th release of How Many Kings: Songs for Christmas. Though the popular, decade-spanning band has relocated to Tennessee, they’ll forever be associated with the “Canadian Invasion” that Christian music saw in the mid to late 90’s and early 00’s. And even though Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving a week early, they still observe Christmas in Octo… oops, December.
Instead of merely updating standard, ubiquitous seasonal favorites with their signature acoustic alt-rock sound, the members of Downhere chose to create distinctive and engaging yuletide hybrids. The band members’ careful consideration in song selection for How Many Kings: Songs for Christmas was balanced by a desire to preserve the timelessness and integrity of the original carols and hymns. Songs such as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Bring A Torch,” and Glory To God” bear Downhere's trademark sound replete with acoustic guitar, melodic piano, strings section, shared lead vocals and deep harmonies; while the albums’ other tracks are much more stylistically diverse. “Christmas In Our Hearts” has a Beatlesesque feel and “What Child Is This” harkens to a Segovia-influenced classical guitar piece. It’s when the band departs their customary that the songs of How Many Kings: Songs for Christmas gleam with that indefinable spark that seems to characterize Christmas, as well as their musical career.
And though the coming of The King of Glory to Earth is due more than a measure of gravitas and respect, the band also recognizes the pure joy and fun associated with the Yuletide. This is nowhere more evident than in the bluesy, honky-tonk interpretation of “Good King Wenceslas,” the extremely short choral “Five Golden Rings” and the quirkily hilarious, oompapa-seasoned “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”. View All Music And Book Reviews By IronJedi | View IronJedi's Profile
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