Christmas Interpretations in Bloomington, MN

Boyz II Men
followed their hugely successful debut,
Cooleyhighharmony
, with
Christmas Interpretations
, which is a pretty intelligent choice, given that
Christmas
albums by established artists tend to sell year after year, while
pop
albums tend to sell mostly at the time of their popularity. So this album of all new
material (written by
the Boyz
themselves) certainly helped
flesh out their catalog. There aren't any interpretations of
classics to be found on this record, save for their
a cappella
rendition of
"Silent Night."
This album is pure, lushly produced
quiet storm
and, because of the lack of
traditional
favorites, could be played at any time of year. This set differs from typical
albums in that it's very subdued, and vocal histrionics are kept at a minimum. This set also differs from
albums in that the songs generally deal with more melancholy subject matter, such as depression and suffering (
"Why Christmas"
) and loneliness and poverty (
"Cold December Nights"
). It's also balanced with songs about the joys of giving (the elegant
"Share Love,"
"Do They Know"
) and, of course, love (
"You're Not Alone,"
"Who Would Have Thought"
). This set also features
"Let It Snow,"
a Top 40 duet with maestro
Brian McKnight
, who co-produced nearly every song on this album (it should have been titled
featuring
). This set is a cozy, velvety, and hip
album with touches of
jazz
,
nostalgia
, and melancholy but, at times, one yearns to hear
' lush harmonies wrapped around
favorites. Nonetheless, a nice chapter in the saga that is
. ~ Jose F. Promis