A songbook between new and altbekanntem

Now that goes so go again: the annual Christmas CDs. Somehow the thought, with more or less original interpretations of Christmas classics to hit the market in late fall - be it as a single or the same as the album - to capture an astonishing number of artists over the course of a musician's life. Evil to him who thinks of commercial motives. So now Kim Wilde is attending that in the 80s began her pop career and from which one has no longer heard some time so much. They served 6 classic Christmas songs and 6 new compositions, the whole thing under the overall theme "Winter".

First the classics: a lot has not dared Kim Wilde case, the interpretations tailspin so between ballad string arrangement and just very popular Minimal Jazz. This fits in so far as the song material and also emphasizes her beautiful, slightly brittle voice only: the Christmas songs that have now been recorded and played back a hundredfold, gives no special touch. The one has simply been too often heard better since Kim Wilde splash shots as the mainstream to himself. Because of course, the song selection is then not particularly original, from "Winter Wonderland" to "Let It Snow" has really a Allerweltsrepertoire rausgesucht without specifics.

Much better is to come in my opinion the new material. So impressive "Hope" with a beautiful, full-bodied acoustic guitar that flatters Wilde's voice, and the wonderfully melancholy "One", the listener is literally snowed by piano music. This may sound pompous, but it makes it clear that these songs have a soul and a character that unfortunately a little lacking in cover versions. However, they are only suitable on account of their often melancholy and sad mood for Christmas - but the whole work is indeed "Winter Song Book" and not "Christmas Book".

The overall impression remains divided: most beautiful new songs and cover versions rather mediocre, but definitely a vocal performance that is consistently above reproach.