As you may have guessed by my utter lack of Christmas songs this month in what I'm reviewing, Christmas really isn't all that big a deal for me. I realized pretty late in the game that "Hey, I'm due for a review on Christmas Day." I wasn't able to find the source information for my #1 choice of Christmas song, so here's #2.
If you've watched the movie version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you've heard the actress playing Cindy Lou Who sing "Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?" The selfsame three people who wrote that (Mariah Carey, James Horner, and Will Jennings) expanded and modified the song into "Where Are You, Christmas" for the movie soundtrack.
Evidently, Mariah Carey was unable to release her own recording of the song due to a legal case with an ex-husband. Faith Hill therefore re-recorded the song for release. She does a nice job with it. It's soothing, and Faith Hill matches her mature voice to what she's singing.
What is that sound? A standard instrumental blend (piano, faint strings, etc.), but it's definitely recognizable as this song, and not potentially any other one of a list. Delicate piano essentially opens and closes the song. It's a ballad with a touch of rock in it.
The song's lyrics follow the singer's struggle with losing the point of Christmas, as she remembers the music and joy that used to be and wonders why it's gone. She knows she's grown and changed. At first, she thinks that maybe Christmas has changed, too, but then realizes that Christmas is an attitude. The bridge best sums it up: "If there is love in your heart and your mind / you will feel like Christmas all the time."
So the song's basically a reminder about what the spirit of Christmas is supposed to be—be it Christ, family, or something else for you. I find the song particularly interesting because it never was a huge deal for my immediate family, and as I've gotten older, we've actually stopped celebrating it as a specific holiday.
The music video, too, is an inoffensive series of clips: some of Faith Hill singing, and some from the How the Grinch Stole Christmas movie. Overall, the song's a pleasant listen, but if you hate Christmas music, there's nothing here to make you change your mind.
"Where Are You, Christmas" has also been covered by two child singers who have been finalists of national talent shows. Four-year-old Kaitlyn Maher of America's Got Talent covered the song at the 2008 White House Christmas Tree lighting ceremony (which is cute). Preteen Hollie Steel of Britain's Got Talent covered it as her first single (which is pretty).
Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10
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