Michael Bublé: "Christmas" Review

Does Michael Bublé’s Christmas album really need an introduction? Arguably the most iconic Christmas album since Mariah Carrey’s “Merry Christmas,” Bublé has become synonymous with the holiday since its release in 2011. His crooning vocals, jazzy instrumentation and the iconic blend of traditional and modern Christmas tunes make “Christmas” the ultimate Christmas album to listen to this holiday season. The album has spawned two separate re-releases since its debut in 2011.

The aforementioned re-releases include the 2012 deluxe edition and the 202110-year anniversary re-release. I’ll be focusing on the 24 songs released on the 10-year edition given that it’s the album in its full, complete version.

Bublé’s voice was simply created for the Christmas holiday. Saying that Bublé has a stellar voice is an obvious and redundant statement, but it is an accurate one. His voice truly does sound like Christmas, feeling similar yet different from Frank Sinatra. It’s hard not to make the comparison to Sinatra given the similarities in their baritone voices. Listening to the tracks that both Bublé and Sinatra have sung, it’s apparent that Bublé takes inspiration from Sinatra. However, Bublé still manages to make these songs his own with even more charisma. Even outside of his gorgeous voice, the ad-libs and personality that Bublé adds to these songs elevate every single track he sings.

Though this album could be a Cappella and still sound incredible due to Bublé’s vocals, the instrumentation is gorgeous throughout the record. The jazzy, big-band approach to a majority of the tracks sounds heavenly. The heavy use of brass instruments and violin give it a classic feel. However, there is still a modern flavor in other tracks such as “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and the Bublé-originals, “The Christmas Sweater” and “Cold December Night.” These have a more percussive flavor with a predominant piano present.

The track selection in “Christmas” is superb. Bublé did a fantastic job selecting classic and newer songs as well as overtly Christmas songs and simply holiday ones. There’s something for everyone on this record; Bublé crafted a truly timeless album. It sounds very Sinatra-esque while still extremely modern. You’d be hard-pressed to find an essential Christmas song missing here.

I can’t help but highlight the aforementioned “Cold December Night.” This is one of the three original songs on the album; Bublé is credited with a co-writing credit here. I’m an absolute sucker for original Christmas songs, and Bublé delivers with this one. Much like the song suggests, this feels more like a December song than a strictly Christmas one. The song revolves around Bublé wishing to fall in love this holiday season. There are a lot of small, holiday-centric details packed into this track (stockings, the sound of carols, the smell of pine, the warmth of the fireplace). It’s a subtly, yet expertly crafted song that feels like the holiday season, drawing on many different senses to help create the feeling.

Bublé’s take on “Santa Baby” is also a very fun listen. He tweaks the lyrics quite a bit here. Referring to Santa as “Santa buddy/pally” and asking for different gifts that are in the original Eartha Kitt version from 1953, Bublé makes his cover his own in the best and most humorous way possible. His voice is so smooth and charismatic here, and the delivery of his wishlist is lovely.

It can be argued that Bublé crafted the quintessential Christmas album here with “Christmas”; I definitely think so. Bublé brings everything to the table with his record. Ranging from classic Christmas songs, to modern and original ones, to even hymns such as “Ave Maria,” “Christmas” contains everything you would expect from a holiday album and then some. In my eyes, this is the perfect Christmas record from a vocal, musical and tracklist perspective. It’s a must-have on anyone’s Christmas playlist.

10/10