Review by Shannon Shumaker
Last year, Janet Devlin dazzled listeners with her Christmas EP, December Daze, and this year, she has returned again with six more beautiful holiday tunes on Little Lights. Now I know what you’re thinking – two Christmas EPs two years in a row? Won’t they just sound the same? And the answer is no. Where Devlin really embodied the holiday spirit on the upbeat December Daze, Little Lights is much slower and more somber, but no less beautiful.
Janet Devlin’s voice is simply soothing and stunning, making Little Lights another perfect collection of songs to get you ready for the holidays. Opening up the EP is “Wake Up It’s Christmas,” and right off the bat, this EP is significantly slower and more emotional sounding than December Daze, but where it lacks in high energy and holiday cheer, it makes up for in songs that are perfect for laying in bed with a cup of hot cocoa while you watch the snow come down outside.
Where some Christmas music can tend to be a bit campy and over enthusiastic, especially before Thanksgiving has even hit, the six songs on Little Lights, spearheaded by Devlin’s dreamy vocals are the perfect soundtrack. The only downside comes in the very similar sounds on these songs, making it somewhat difficult to pick a standout track. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some special moments, though. Vocally, “Merry Christmas Mum & Dad” is absolutely beautiful – the emotion bubbles over in Devlin’s voice in a way that will make you feel very connected to the song. On the musical side of things, the string instruments in “Merry Xmas Everybody” and “White Christmas” are gorgeous. But easily the strongest song on the EP is “Something Beginning With Christmas,” which is filled to the brim with Janet Devlin’s signature spunky sound and energy. “Something Beginning With Christmas” and the final song, “Christmas Kiss” are definitely more fun-loving than the first half of the EP, but without sounding overly cheesy or campy, making for the perfect ending.
Although it may lack a little bit of the energy from Devlin’s 2015 Christmas EP, Little Lights is sure to put listeners in the holiday spirit, and it seems that the singer hasn’t sacrificed any of herself in order to create these festive tracks. Each song – especially the final two tracks – is filled to the brim with emotion, excitement and most of all, cheer, making for the perfect soundtrack to your holiday season.
Rating: 4.5/5
Listen to “Something Beginning With Christmas”
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