Our Review
Here is yet another excellent holiday release from the Blenders, one of the very best male pop a cappella quartets. I also reviewed the group's 2004 compilation of seasonal music (appropriately titled Holiday Best), and Most Wonderful Time is a most worthy follow-up album. These four fellows (Allan Rust, brother Darren Rust, Tim Kasper, Ryan Lance) really know their craft, executing phrasing and harmonies with precision and verve. Very, very nice!
Most Wonderful Time is attractive from the moment you pick it up. The cover art has a nostalgic, old-fashioned feel that is warm and classy. As the Blenders swing into their opening cut, vocalizing "Ding Dong, Ding Dong" on "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," the holiday mood is well established. The voices project sparkling melodies, layered harmonies, and innovative instrumentation (percussive sound effects) with equal aplomb, creating a professionally polished--and utterly charming--presentation.
The dozen tracks include two very brief (combined, only 85 seconds) nonmusical interludes, and the ten remaining numbers are almost entirely seasonal favorites. The men combine sacred and secular pieces, and the album's mood similarly reflects both serious introspection and joyous romps. "Deck the Halls" falls in the latter category; it's is a funkadelic fest with a little rappin' thrown in. And speaking of rap/wrap, the final track is Ryan Lance's original "All Wrapped Up," an addictive love ditty that is all rhythm and high-flying pop enthusiasm ("I know it's cold, but Baby it's cool 'cause I'm all wrapped up in you").
Sadly, I am slow, old and gray, and my preferences tend towards the more stately selections, pieces that move with deliberate sophistication through complex chord changes. My favorite numbers include the melancholy marvel "I Wonder as I Wander" and the hauntingly sweet "Away in a Manger." Michael Franks' jazzy and jaded "I Bought You a Plastic Star (For Your Aluminum Tree)" is a hoot that will produce smiles all around.
The Blenders consistently blend beautiful a cappella music for the holidays. Their brand new Most Wonderful Time is a most wonderful choice for those who love great male pop quartets. Enjoy!
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)
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From the liner notes:
The Blenders:
Darren Rust
Tim Kasper
Allan Rust
Ryan Lance
Arranged and Produced by Darren Rust
The Blenders
Most Wonderful Time
Artist link
Label: Skyland Productions
Length: 37 minutes
Genre: Choral
Release: 2005
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year |
| Go Tell It on the Mountain |
| It Came Upon a Midnight Clear |
| Santa's Little Helper (Interlude) |
| Frosty the Snowman/Here Comes Santa Claus |
| I Wonder as I Wander |
| Deck the Halls |
| O Little Town of Bethlehem |
| I Bought You a Plastic Star (For Your Aluminum Tree) |
| Away in a Manger |
| Christmas Eve (Interlude) |
| All Wrapped Up |