Emily Arrow has released a simply delightful album for the holidays entitled: WINTERTIME SINGALONG (Acoustic). It is simple in style, but not in musicality. Through her covers of classics, unexpected medleys, and original works, she has created something that will appeal to every member of the carpool (driver included!).
The first track of Wintertime Singalong is Arrow’s cover of the Guaraldi/Mendelson classic Christmastime is Here. This fresh, upbeat spin on the song featuring piano, ukulele (of course!), and sleigh bells felt like a fun throwback to the 1960’s beach vibe. Other covers on this album include The Polar Express, Here In My House as well as Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Each is given their own special Emily Arrow twist, either with lots of ukulele, vocal help from little friends, slide whistles, or sometimes all three! WINTERTIME SINGALONG features a few more traditional tunes in the form of medleys. Unexpected, yet blending so well together (like candy canes and cocoa), Snowflakes & Jingle Bells and This is Your Year & Auld Lang Syne feature Arrow’s uplifting vocals, glockenspiel, and jingle bells.
Of course, what would an Emily Arrow album be without a shout-out to books? Lucky for us, WINTERTIME SINGALONG does not disappoint! An original work by Arrow, Sing a Story is the perfect anthem for winter afternoons at your favorite library (spoiler alert: awesome kazoo solo in this one!). Are We There, Yeti? is a fun piece inspired by the Ashlyn Anstee book by the same name. The Smallest Gift of Christmas Song is a catchy, piano-driven, light-pop tune inspired by the book by Peter H. Reynolds. “Sometimes all you need is right in front of you,” is the message behind this one, and it will certainly tug at your heartstrings. Finally, the song Little Red Sled tells the story of a little girl named Winter who totes her books around on a Little Red Sled (and you’ll just have to listen to find out what happens on her journey!). An interesting note about this song is that it is a collaboration with illustrator pal Zoey Abbot Wagner. The beautifully illustrated sing-a-long music video can be viewed on Emily Arrow’s website.
If I could describe WINTERTIME SINGALONG in one word, it would be: COZY. Emily Arrow has created the perfect Holiday album for a snowy night in with your littles around board games and cocoa. It is a delightful departure from the overproduced flashiness typically associated with this time of year. Quite frankly, I’d be likely put this on with the fireplace blazing even after the kids go to bed.