The second Christmas album from a cappella group Pentatonix is already decking the halls. Chock full of classics, spanning everyone from Kanye to 16th century monks, the group have put together a collection of covers and original tunes to get you in the spirit this festive season.
Tracks like O Come All Ye Faithful and White Christmas (featuring The Manhattan Transfer)are old classics given a modern, up-beat twist. Straight forward covers like Hallelujah and Coventry Carol give the album less of a superficial Christmas vibe.
The weakest points in the album are the original songs, The Christmas Sing-a-long and Good to be Bad. They aren’t awful, but they aren’t good. With weak lyrics, too much repetition and no nostalgic value, they fall flat.
Surprisingly it’s the not specifically Christmas songs on the album that make it work. Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah isn’t a Christmas song, but it’s on here and it works. As well as Kanye’s Coldest Winter, a track that lends it’s self well to the a cappella sound.
This album is festive, yet modern enough to keep the Christmas-loving population happy. Move over Mr Buble, A Pentatonix Christmas is what the mums will be wanting this year.
By Cassie Hedger
