New Age Christmas Radio

If you have been listening to New Age Christmas Radio over the past several years, you are well-aware of the mostly solo-type performances I like to play.  Generally, the more simplistic the sound, the greater likelihood it ends up on the station.  David Arkenstone has been a significant part of that sound since the beginning.  So, it was almost a knee-jerk reaction when I decided to add Christmas Lounge to this year’s playlist.  What I found upon auditioning this album, however, was nothing short of surprise!

This is a totally different sound for David, and for New Age Christmas Radio!  Flowing senthesizer soundscapes that is trademark Arkenstone is replaced with rhythmic, nonchalant medium to up-tempo renditions of popular holiday tunes.  Many people might easily call this “chill” music, and Christmas Lounge definitely fills this niche.  As the title suggests, Arkenstone considers the music here akin to the “bachelor pad-style” music of the 50s and 60s, and any fan of “lounge” music should find this album a welcome addition to their collection.

Arkenstone immediately sets the tone for Christmas Lounge with the first cut, “Sleigh Ride,” presenting a carefree sound complete with the sleigh bells, all in perfect tempo.  That same sound of holiday merriment continues onward through “Deck The Halls,” and “Jingle Bells,” that is reminiscent  of a blues club tune.

Even the more “serious” tunes on this album are tastefully presented, without sacrificing the “lounge” atmosphere.  Classics such as “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and even the most sacred “Silent Night” is given a unique, yet peaceful sound, and is a fitting conclusion to this unique collection of holiday music.

There always seems to be an entire crop of “unique-sounding” ablums that come out only during the holiday season, and sometimes it can be difficult to choose.  Most of the time I end up buying them all, but only end up listening to a few on an ongoing basis.  Christmas Lounge is one of those albums.  It’s perfect as music for entertaining, or listening on your own – at home, in the car, or at the office.  I would even dare to predict this is an album you will not only want to play over and over again this holiday season, but will return to again for many seasons to come.

One “technical note” here.  You have probably noticed that the Amazon links associated with the above song titles don’t match the title inside the article content.  That’s because Amazon mis-labeled the title of the tracks on this album.  I choose to link to the proper song track, rather than the title, so that in case you decide to purchase that song, you will get the correct one.  Better yet, just purchase the entire album download.  You’ll need to rename the tracks on your computer once you do.  But it is well worth the effort!  You can hear samples of Christmas Lounge here.