There are some singers who were born to make Christmas albums: Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Julie Andrews, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Boney M (oh, come on, admit it -- you love their Christmas album!) et cetera. The list could go on and on. And, of course, there are those singers who should not make a Christmas album (Jessica Simpson, anyone?).
It seems as if making a Christmas album is part of any singer's contract. Even during the boy-band hey-days, New Kids on the Block, N*Sync and 98 Degrees all made Christmas albums. But rarely are any of these albums more than smart marketing ploys to lure shoppers into spending money during the holiday season on their favourite singer jumping on the Christmas-album bandwagon.
However, one of the best Christmas albums in recent years is by a Canadian singer who like Presley, Andrews et al. was destined to make a Christmas album: Kim Stockwood. She's has had a few hits on Canadian radio, most notably Jerk and 12 Years Old. She is a talented singer-songwriter with a cheeky sense of humour and a gift for writing thoughtful, personal songs with strong melodies. Which is why she's the perfect singer to make her own Christmas album.
Released in 2006, I Love Santa gets some play during the Christmas season because of Stockwood's popular version of It's a Marshmallow World. There are a handful of other popular Christmas classics such as Silver Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and an absolutely gorgeous version of Silent Night (featuring Damhnait Doyle and Tara MacLean). But thankfully, Stockwood also features some of her own songs, including the title track. The album is a charming, warm-hearted Christmas album with a slightly jazzy sound; the kind you can listen to snuggled up in front of the fireplace drinking egg nog or a hot chocolate.
Although it's only two years old, Stockwood's I Love Santa is already one of my favourite Christmas albums of all time. I don't think it's too early to rank it with the Christmas classics. Treat yourself this Christmas to Kim Stockwood's I Love Santa.
