It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas – just head to a department store near you! With the fever for Black Friday beginning to permeate pores – and the need to fill stockings fast approaching – comes Warmer In The Winter on October 20th, Lindsey Stirling’s first-ever Holiday album brought to you by Lindseystomp Music/Concord Records.
Electric Violinist Lindsey Stirling is a highly-acclaimed musician from Arizona whose talents have gained her some 10 million YouTube subscribers, over 1.9 billion views on her YouTube channel, 2 Billboard Music Awards, Billboard chart-topping hits and sold-out tours worldwide. Fusing Classical musicianship with Electronica and Dance beats, Stirling has literally created her own musical niche.
Impressively, her third studio offering, 2016’s Brave Enough, would go on to score the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Album list for 2016, placing Stirling amongst the likes of the genre’s heavyweights like Chainsmokers, Flume, and Kygo. What is more, this eclectic young woman has even released a New York Times’ best-selling memoir, 2016’s The Only Pirate at the Party, and is currently competing on the 25th season of the ABC hit TV series Dancing with the Stars.
One of the few boxes that Stirling had left to check off in her career, thus far, was that of a Holiday album. So, ever the overachiever, she now presents the 13-song collection Warmer In The Winter. Divided among instrumental classics, delightful originals and guest appearances that pump a little extra pizzazz into this celebration, this is an anthology that superbly blends young, fun spirit and truly breath-taking musicianship.
It all kicks off with “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” a beautifully done retelling of the classic that serves to highlight Stirling’s splendid skills. In fact, there are not necessarily boundless words to write about her take on instrumental Holiday classics such as the aforementioned, along with the likes of the gorgeous and sparkling “Carol of the Bells,” heart-tickling “Angels We Heard On High,” jig-inspiring “I Saw Three Ships,” and the delectable Jazzy zest of “Let It Snow.” They are what they are: classic favorites performed at the uppermost echelon of talent.
The fabulously merry “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” features Singer-Songwriter (and Disney Channel alum) Sabrina Carpenter’s wonderfully soaring, flirty-fun vocals alongside a certain Jazzy pizzazz; bumping this favorite up a notch from kid’s play to a true classic that even the most mature adults will embrace with open arms. Stirling’s phenomenal musical artistry leads the charge into “Christmas C’mon” – featuring Singer-Songwriter Becky G. – a bubbly good-time that will set you on your dance feet at your next Christmas party. This is your favorite Holiday, right?
Stirling peppers a Jazzy finesse into many of her renditions and this is no different on the original offering – and album namesake – “Warmer in the Winter.” Featuring the New Orleans-based Trombone Shorty, this is an adorable piece that conjures red-lipped pin-up girls prancing through the snow in high heels, searching for the perfect cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows. Break out your ugly sweaters and get your Holiday hop on! The festivities here goes hand-in-hand with her remaining original offering, “Time to Fall in Love.” Alex Gaskarth of Pop-Punkers All Time Low sets the perfect vocal dance to accompany Stirling’s finger-work, creating an addictive and cheery, new favorite for this Holiday season. Expect this track to blow-up radio this December because Christmas is the time to fall in love and dance, right?
Further instrumentals flesh out the album, including “What Child Is This” – demonstrating exactly why Stirling is an aficionado of divine melodies – the expressive “Jingle Bell Rock,” and the marvelously angelic and emotional “Silent Night.” Admittedly, it does feel a bit strange to experience “All I Want For Christmas” without words, but Stirling does such a beautiful job of conveying emotion with her violin; leading the band into a dance-able rendition that is leagues beyond anything Mariah Carey will ever touch.
If you wish for a score card, Warmer In The Winter contains 9 instrumentals; 4 guest appearances; 3 original tracks; and a partridge in a pear tree. (For the record, some more math: the Target Deluxe Edition contains 2 bonus tracks.) Though no matter how you break it down, Stirling’s musicianship is always stellar, yes, and each and every song is imbued with a delicate poignancy that is pitch-perfect for your next Holiday gathering.
What young Miss Stirling offers is something that will appeal to the entire family: gorgeous, classical musicianship that has just enough spunk to keep even those sitting at the kids’ table enthralled. Warmer In The Winter is, thus, a collection that will delight the entire gathering and add a little extra shine to your Christmas smile. For these reasons, CrypticRock give Lindsey Stirling’s Warmer In The Winter 5 of 5 gold rings.
Tour Dates:
11/8/17 Albany, NY Palace Theatre
11/9/17 Tom’s River, NJ Pine Belt Arena
11/10/17 Washington, DC The Anthem
11/11/17 Mashantucket, CT Foxwoods Resort Casino – Grand Theater
11/14/17 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
11/16/17 Philadelphia, PA Academy of Music
11/17/17 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
11/22/17 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Center
11/24/17 Tampa, FL Starz Center
11/25/17 St. Augustine, FL Saint Augustine Amphitheatre
11/27/17 Houston, TX Revention Music Center
11/28/17 San Antonio, TX Tobin Center for Performing Arts
11/29/17 El Paso, TX Abraham Chavez Theatre
12/1/17 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
12/2/17 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
12/4/17 Omaha, NE Orpheum
12/5/17 Cedar Rapids, IA US Cellular Center
12/6/17 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
12/7/17 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theatre
12/8/17 Lawrence, KS Lied Center
12/9/17 Denver, CO 1st Bank Center
12/11/17 Idaho Falls, ID Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium
12/12/17 Salt Lake City, UT Eccles Theatre
12/14/17 Eugene, OR Hult Center for the Performing Arts
12/15/17 Spokane, WA INB Performing Arts Center
12/16/17 Seattle, WA The Paramount Theatre
12/18/17 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
12/20/17 San Jose, CA City National Civic
12/21/17 Los Angeles, CA Microsoft Theater
12/22/17 Las Vegas, NV The Cosmopolitan – Chelsea Theatre
12/23/17 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
Purchase Warmer In The Winter:
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