George Strait - Fresh Cut Christmas
Like perennial Christmas favorites Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole, Texas music veteran George Strait possesses a vocal style as mellow and smooth as hot-buttered rum. His lived-in style is perfect for those who like their yuletide classics as if delivered in a wool sweater while sitting in front of a crackling fire.
On his third holiday album, “Fresh Cut Christmas,” Strait concentrates on sing-along standards like “We Three Kings,” “Deck the Halls” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” giving them all just a hint of Lone Star twang.
The famous balladeer gives well-known solemn songs like “Silent Night” and “O Christmas Tree” a candle-lit glow, with steel guitar and mandolin adding sweet country accents. But Strait seems to particularly enjoy the more playful tunes, like “Up on the Housetop” and “Jingle Bells,” which he and producer Tony Brown energize with western-swing rhythms.
The album was released in a marketing agreement with Hallmark Cards Inc. and is sold only at Hallmark Gold Crown stores.– Michael McCall
