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Our Review

Whitney Wolanin is packed with potential, a pretty teenager with powerhouse R&B/rock vocals. Striving to avoid "blah" holiday treatments, Wolanin's Christmasology stirs up the egg nog, providing largely upbeat, hard-driving and funky treatments of 15 sacred and secular gems. This is party music; crank it up and let the electric guitars and driving percussion take over.

The album arrived in an unassuming cardboard slip cover with precious little information about the production, but featuring a smiling Wolanin front and back. Although she mixes in a few reflective numbers, Christmasology is strongest when it ratchets up the tempo on numbers like Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. This is revved-up, carefree holiday fare presented with a spunky edge.

Years from now, young Whitney Wolanin may convert her intense energy into commanding vocals, and I look forward to that day. For the moment, Christmasology is a fun and suggestive beginning.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Produced by:
Whitney Wolanin
Bob "Funk Brother" Babbitt
Vincent Wolanin

From the promotional materials:

Wolanin says that she's heard a lot of very "blah" Christmas albums in her life, and wanted to bring an up-tempo rock vibe to Christmasology which would be a unique, contemporary expression of the fun way she views the season. "Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, and I thought it would be fun to redo a bunch of traditional songs to make them tunes you could party to. On the fast songs, I'd figure out my key and then have my drummer keep increasing the tempo to get me to the fastest groove possible on each song. It was a challenge to sing and accomplish the phrasing over grooves that were so fast, but it was worth it. I love how it came out. It's as hot as we could get it!"

Whitney Wolanin

Christmasology

Artist site

Track List