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Our Review

Love it, love it, love it! Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong is her first new studio album in three years, and it was worth the wait. Ever since McLachlan's triple-platinum breakthrough album (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy), she has mesmerized her legions of fans with pop-perfect sensual delights and a voice so passionate, yet ethereal, that you can disappear into the sound.

This release offers 12 cuts, including a great mix of traditional and contemporary gems, as well as the title track, which is McLachlan's own creation. Wintersong is a moody, fragile delight about lost love and the cherished memory of joy on Christmas morning. As for the familiar tunes, McLachlan's song selection is superb. She takes two of my favorite contemporary pieces, John Lennon's Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and Joni Mitchell's River, and knocks both out of the ballpark with faithful, yet sweetly surreal, renditions. McLachlan also presents (fellow Canadian) Gordon Lightfoot's Song for a Winter's Night as a special treat, an unusual, yet perfectly appropriate, inclusion on a holiday release.

The artist's treatment of more traditional pieces like What Child Is This (Greensleeves) shows true creative flair; this piece, for example, presents McLachlan's clever arrangement, which brings the whole number into a low register and rolls it over a limited range. This translates Greensleeves into a softly swelling lullaby--lovely! On I'll Be Home for Christmas, McLachlan lets loose her sultry soul, although the synth accompaniment gives the number a new age-ish feel. In fact, the ambient sounds throughout the album occasionally create an other-worldly effect without distracting from McLachlan's outstanding pipes.

The showcase number is the longest track, The First Noel/Mary Mary, a medley that seamlessly blends the gritty, homespun spiritual Mary Mary with a surging First Noel driven by tribal sounds and surrounded by Ravi Shankar-style sitar intonations. By the time the drums begin to roll in full force, the listeners have already been swept away.

Very impressive. Those who adore Sarah McLachlan should not hesitate to rip this item off store shelves and embrace it for the upcoming holiday season. Those less familiar with this artist should take a long look at Wintersong, which stars one of the most flexible and delightful pop voices available and unique arrangements that will lift you up. This is excellent, fully satisfying, eclectic music that will please a broad audience, yet remains faithful to the artist's roots. Sweet!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

Our Review

Though I haven't been an avid Sarah McLachlan fan, that's apparently only because I haven't heard much of her music. Famous on my iPod as the lady who sings that song Angel from the City of Angels soundtrack, McLachlan makes a bid for my already-spread-thin-over-many-divas fanship with Wintersong, a provocative pop statement from an artist who obviously has much to say.

A consummate vocal stylist, Ms. McLachlan is unafraid to take liberties with melody, at times almost re-making old-timey Christmas carols as pop tunes. Her The First Noel/Mary Mary breathes new life into a tired old carol.

She also takes some risk with contemporary holiday pop songs. Singing Joni Mitchell's River, she turns in a brilliant performance in an arrangement reminiscent of Mitchell's own. In what turns out to be an homage to a fellow canadian, McLachlan doesn't come off looking at all badly in the inevitable comparison. Her performance of John Lennon's Happy Christmas (War Is Over) is also remarkable.

As someone who knew of her but who had not heard very much of her music, Wintersong left me wanting to hear more from Sarah McLachlan.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Pierre Marchand
Engineered by Chris Porter


Musicians
Sarah McLachlan: Vocals, Piano, Harp, Dobro
Pierre Marchand: Keyboards, Programming, Synth Bass, Quartet Manipulations, Vienna Keyboard Strings
Jim Creegan: Double Bass
Colin Cripps: Guitar, Dobro
Bill Dillon: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Mandolin, Bass
Bob Doidge: Sleigh Bells on "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
Daryl Johnson: Bass
Diana Krall: Piano on "Christmas Time Is Here"
Vince Mai: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Ashwin Sood: Drums, Percussion

Sarah McLachlan

Wintersong

Artist link

Track List