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Our Review

This male a cappella quintet has a cool name (Ball in the House) and a mighty fine holiday release (Believe). Boston pop band BITH (Aaron, Don, Dave, Jon, Ryan) produces heavenly harmonies with a gritty edge. The offering's way too short (under 30 minutes), but delivers a meaty punch.

The opening is excellent. The Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel (intro) has an eerie, ethereal vibe that quickly morphs into the second cut, a mouth-boppin', jazz-ilicious Angels We Have Heard on High. In fact, short (under one minute) snippets of Emmanuel surface four times on this release, providing the intro and quick interludes between later numbers. It's an interesting musical device that works; the diverse treatments of Emmanuel alone will capture the listeners' attention, and the repeated song fragments deliver continuity.

The album has an R&B flavor that does not obscure the straightforward beauty of these Christmas classics. For example, Away in a Manger and Some Children See Him are sweetly reverential and soulful. The release closes with an original cut, the longest on the album. The title track Believe is all about the season's true meaning, and the lyrics and delivery are well-crafted and sincere.

This was my first exposure to BITH, and I am impressed. Their Believe has made a believer out of me!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2009)

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From the liner notes:

All sounds on this album were created by the human voice.
Track 12 written by Ball in the House.
All songs arranged by Ball in the House.
Executive Producer Dan Szymczak.
Associate Producers Ball in the House.


From the artist's Website:

Ball in the House is a tour de force of vocal sound that must be heard and seen to be believed. This five-man, pop/R and B "mouth band" hails from Boston, Massachusetts, where they live and operate out of when not touring on the road. Originally formed as a quartet by founder and current vocal percussionist Jon J., Ball in the House has gone through numerous phases and changes on its way to becoming one of the best-known and most-loved acts in the a cappella community today.

***

Sometimes the longer journey is more worth traveling and Ball in the House has certainly traveled far. It has been a bumpy road, at times, for the band. After having stable membership and great success for three years, the tragedy of September 11, 2001 occurred. Shortly thereafter, a few long-time members of BitH made decisions to pursue other interests. Jon J. and Dave remained, still believing in their music and still loving performing together. They intended to rebuild Ball in the House, better than it had ever been before. They succeeded. After exhaustive nationwide auditions, Ball in the House improved exponentially by adding Aaron in early 2002 and then Dan in 2003, shortly thereafter becoming a five-man group. The final piece fell into place when Ryan joined in the spring of 2006. Ball in the House had reinvented itself and transformed into something truly special, onstage and off. From those humble roots - two childhood friends who loved singing and shared a dream to live a life of performance - came what has grown into Ball in the House. five guys. five mouths. And a sound unlike anything you've heard before. Ball in the House is dedicated to bringing their distinctive style of pop/Rhythm and Blues to as many people as they can reach, from Boston to L.A., Singapore to New York, and everywhere in between, opening for and performing with acts such as Cher, 98°, Jessica Simpson, Blondie, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and numerous others. They can even be heard on national TV and radio as the voice behind the commercials for Cool Whip dessert topping.

Ball in the House

Believe

Artist link

Track List