Here I go with my much hated artist analogies again. Listening to "Christmas Kiss (Deluxe Edition)" by Austin Marolla put me in mind of Dean Friedman. Though Friedman is thought of as a "one hit wonder" for the quirky "Ariel" in 1977, he's actually a pretty amazing songwriter and singer with many sides and facets (if you want to appreciate Friedman's lyrical prowess, try "Song For My Mother"). And, as a performer, he brings an honest passion to everything he does. I really like Dean Friedman. If you asked me what non-Christmas music I consider essential (for me), the first names I'd list off are Joe Williams, Mike Cross, Rupert Holmes and Dean Friedman.
Austin Marolla has a tenor voice with a similar timbre as Friedman's. Even the way he uses that voice in his phrasing is often similar. But, more to the point, on "Christmas Kiss", Austin demonstrates that he's a pretty amazing songwriter with many facets and he delivers his songs with an honest passion. When it's time for something quirky and fun, you have a good time because he has a good time. When the subject matter is more serious, you care because he cares.
Austin Marolla is a native New Yorker. Though he always wanted to be a musician, he went to school and got his degree in optometry. See? (Sorry about that). That's a very NYC thing, btw--"Here's what I want to do with my life, now how am I gonna pay the bills?" Never (no pun intended) taking his eyes off the prize, Austin studied theater at the same time he studied optometry, worked in theater and studied guitar even as he was setting up his optometry practice. And he began performing in the local clubs. Finally, in 2011, Austin released his debut recording, "You & Me". (I apologize for this, but my sick sense of humor can't help but imagine Austin working with the studio engineers. "Is this better...or this? This one...or this one? Does this sound better? How 'bout now?")
"Christmas Kiss (Deluxe Edition)" is Austin Marolla's third full-length album and features nine original songs viewing the season from multiple angles.
Austin Marolla has a tenor voice with a similar timbre as Friedman's. Even the way he uses that voice in his phrasing is often similar. But, more to the point, on "Christmas Kiss", Austin demonstrates that he's a pretty amazing songwriter with many facets and he delivers his songs with an honest passion. When it's time for something quirky and fun, you have a good time because he has a good time. When the subject matter is more serious, you care because he cares.
Austin Marolla is a native New Yorker. Though he always wanted to be a musician, he went to school and got his degree in optometry. See? (Sorry about that). That's a very NYC thing, btw--"Here's what I want to do with my life, now how am I gonna pay the bills?" Never (no pun intended) taking his eyes off the prize, Austin studied theater at the same time he studied optometry, worked in theater and studied guitar even as he was setting up his optometry practice. And he began performing in the local clubs. Finally, in 2011, Austin released his debut recording, "You & Me". (I apologize for this, but my sick sense of humor can't help but imagine Austin working with the studio engineers. "Is this better...or this? This one...or this one? Does this sound better? How 'bout now?")
"Christmas Kiss (Deluxe Edition)" is Austin Marolla's third full-length album and features nine original songs viewing the season from multiple angles.
 | 1. Can It Always Be Christmas 2. Alone on Christmas (feat. Sloan Wainwright) 3. Footprints 4. Big Fat Christmas 5. Miracles 6. The Santa Shake 7. I Don't Know What to Get You 8. Christmas Kiss (feat. Sloan Wainwright) 9. Sing Hallelujah |
"Christmas Kiss" opens with the somewhat exotic sounding rhythm of "Can It Always Be Christmas". It may at first call to mind African rhythms of the kind Paul Simon employed on "Graceland". But it's more likely of Hawaiian derivation as Austin studied with Grammy winning slack key guitarist Jeff Peterson in Hawaii and probably was enchanted by the wide variety of Island music (as anyone who has visited there would be). Thoughts of exotic rhythms soon fade, though, as "Can It Always Be Christmas" reveals itself to be a pleasing uptempo Pop song, asking the familiar question of why we can't act the same every day as we do at Christmas time. Austin's song actually answers the question, in it's way. "Can It Always Be Christmas"? It's up to us.
"Alone On Christmas", featuring frequent collaborator Sloan Wainwright, is perhaps the most radio-friendly track on the album, and one of my three personal favorites. This is an early 60s rocker, complete with a smokin' sax solo. Of all the lyrics on "Christmas Kiss", "Alone On Christmas" is the song that checklists all the seasonal highlights. If you wanna play Christmas Song Bingo, this is your chance. Mistletoe, Candy Canes, Peace on Earth, Hark The Herald Angels Sing--BINGO!
I'm not the person to ask about "Footprints". I've always hated that poem (you know the one). Anytime anything bad happens in your life, there's always somebody waiting to hand you a laminated copy of the thing. I do love what's Austin's doing, here, musically, and he's done an excellent job lyrically as well. I can see "Footprints" as a very popular anthem in CCM circles. But I just really hate that poem.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I absolutely love "Big Fat Christmas". If "Big Fat Christmas" doesn't make you smile, you'd best check to see if you still have a pulse. Austin is, here, exploring the more frivolous side of the holiday. Ah, the joys of overdoing it. Something about Christmas grants permission to live life to excess and "Big Fat Christmas" is a celebration of all that. "Office holiday party/Getting drunk and sloppy/Take a Xerox of my ass/Everybody, here's a copy". Love the lyrics and delivery, love the guitar work, love the sentiment. love everything about "Big Fat Christmas". Remember "Snow Day" by Bleu? "Big Fat Christmas" has that kind of irrepressible joy about it; it's ready-made for Christmas mixtapes everywhere.
"Alone On Christmas", featuring frequent collaborator Sloan Wainwright, is perhaps the most radio-friendly track on the album, and one of my three personal favorites. This is an early 60s rocker, complete with a smokin' sax solo. Of all the lyrics on "Christmas Kiss", "Alone On Christmas" is the song that checklists all the seasonal highlights. If you wanna play Christmas Song Bingo, this is your chance. Mistletoe, Candy Canes, Peace on Earth, Hark The Herald Angels Sing--BINGO!
I'm not the person to ask about "Footprints". I've always hated that poem (you know the one). Anytime anything bad happens in your life, there's always somebody waiting to hand you a laminated copy of the thing. I do love what's Austin's doing, here, musically, and he's done an excellent job lyrically as well. I can see "Footprints" as a very popular anthem in CCM circles. But I just really hate that poem.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I absolutely love "Big Fat Christmas". If "Big Fat Christmas" doesn't make you smile, you'd best check to see if you still have a pulse. Austin is, here, exploring the more frivolous side of the holiday. Ah, the joys of overdoing it. Something about Christmas grants permission to live life to excess and "Big Fat Christmas" is a celebration of all that. "Office holiday party/Getting drunk and sloppy/Take a Xerox of my ass/Everybody, here's a copy". Love the lyrics and delivery, love the guitar work, love the sentiment. love everything about "Big Fat Christmas". Remember "Snow Day" by Bleu? "Big Fat Christmas" has that kind of irrepressible joy about it; it's ready-made for Christmas mixtapes everywhere.
Back to a serious reflection on the season with the third of my personal favorites, "Miracles". After celebrating holiday excess, "Miracles" brings us back down to reality with a reminder of what's really important. We tend to place so much importance on material things, but it's just stuff. It could be wiped out in minutes...by flood, by fire, through tragedy or bankruptcy. What really matters, when you can finally get past the stuff, is the people in your life and the love you feel for each other. And that's what it's really all about, Charlie Brown.
People are always trying to create a new dance and Austin's is "The Santa Shake". It's a fun Pop Rocker the kids should enjoy (without annoying the parents), but I'm not sure it's got the staying power of The Time Warp (but what do I know? I don't get the Wiggles, either). It is nice to see Austin covering all the bases by including a song for the younger set (usually, Christmas albums are aimed at one age group or the other).
"I Don't Know What To Get You" is a song I'd ask you to pay attention to. I can already tell this is a song where your attention will drift. Yeah, yeah, the guy wants to give his lady something nice and doesn't have the money. We get it, we've heard it. But the twist in "I Don't Know What To Get You" is that the song is from the perspective of a soldier returning from war. He thinks about the things he wishes he could buy, realizes that the best gift he'll receive is coming home and, ultimately, he understands that the only gift he or his lady need is seeing each other after so long apart. Once you get that, the song takes on a much deeper and more emotional meaning...for you as, again, you start to look beyond the price tag to the things that really matter. Musically, I have to tell you that I've been listening to and collecting songs that combine war and Christmas for many decades. They tend to be songs about loss and longing or trying to find the season amidst the horrors of war. It's a pure joy (and rare) to have a song combining the two themes that is upbeat, positive, and features a happy ending.
The album's title track, "Christmas Kiss", is a mid-tempo love song duet with Sloan Wainwright. "Christmas Kiss" ties together the themes found throughout the rest of the album. Love and friendship are what truly matter and should be celebrated and appreciated year 'round. Christmas makes for a nice...enhancer. Maybe the stars shine a little brighter, maybe the presents serve as a pleasant symbol of affection. But the love is the thing and a kiss, something you can give each other at any time on any day, is really the only present, the only enhancement, you need.
"Sing Hallelujah", which closes the album, ties it all together in a different way than "Christmas Kiss". It's a song which says, in essence, "all that fun and joy and love I was expressing on the rest of this album? Thank you for that". It's a song about being spiritually touched and uplifted. I don't talk about it (at all, really)--I'm all about the music, here--but let's just say I very much identify with "Sing Hallelujah" and appreciate it on a very personal level. I can only hope that you've been fortunate enough in your own life to feel the same.
I get the feeling that Austin Marolla is still growing as an artist. But he's clearly found his voice as a songwriter and learned how to use his voice as a singer. "Christmas Kiss" is an album of intelligently written Pop songs which put assorted aspects of the season into proper perspective and celebrate every facet. But the key to it all is something you can neither teach nor learn. Austin Marolla loves life. That is so clear throughout "Christmas Kiss (Deluxe Edition)". He's having a blast. And, because he's having a blast, you do, too. That's the real magic. Oh, why the "Deluxe Edition" designation? Because that's what Austin wanted to call it. [UPDATE: Clarification from the artist, himself. The "Deluxe Edition" was intended to refer to a version which would include the videos that have and are being filmed, such as the one for "Miracles" up top. Somewhere, communications got crossed and it became "Deluxe Edition" everywhere.]
There will be an official video for "Big Fat Christmas"...but I'm not waiting.
People are always trying to create a new dance and Austin's is "The Santa Shake". It's a fun Pop Rocker the kids should enjoy (without annoying the parents), but I'm not sure it's got the staying power of The Time Warp (but what do I know? I don't get the Wiggles, either). It is nice to see Austin covering all the bases by including a song for the younger set (usually, Christmas albums are aimed at one age group or the other).
"I Don't Know What To Get You" is a song I'd ask you to pay attention to. I can already tell this is a song where your attention will drift. Yeah, yeah, the guy wants to give his lady something nice and doesn't have the money. We get it, we've heard it. But the twist in "I Don't Know What To Get You" is that the song is from the perspective of a soldier returning from war. He thinks about the things he wishes he could buy, realizes that the best gift he'll receive is coming home and, ultimately, he understands that the only gift he or his lady need is seeing each other after so long apart. Once you get that, the song takes on a much deeper and more emotional meaning...for you as, again, you start to look beyond the price tag to the things that really matter. Musically, I have to tell you that I've been listening to and collecting songs that combine war and Christmas for many decades. They tend to be songs about loss and longing or trying to find the season amidst the horrors of war. It's a pure joy (and rare) to have a song combining the two themes that is upbeat, positive, and features a happy ending.
The album's title track, "Christmas Kiss", is a mid-tempo love song duet with Sloan Wainwright. "Christmas Kiss" ties together the themes found throughout the rest of the album. Love and friendship are what truly matter and should be celebrated and appreciated year 'round. Christmas makes for a nice...enhancer. Maybe the stars shine a little brighter, maybe the presents serve as a pleasant symbol of affection. But the love is the thing and a kiss, something you can give each other at any time on any day, is really the only present, the only enhancement, you need.
"Sing Hallelujah", which closes the album, ties it all together in a different way than "Christmas Kiss". It's a song which says, in essence, "all that fun and joy and love I was expressing on the rest of this album? Thank you for that". It's a song about being spiritually touched and uplifted. I don't talk about it (at all, really)--I'm all about the music, here--but let's just say I very much identify with "Sing Hallelujah" and appreciate it on a very personal level. I can only hope that you've been fortunate enough in your own life to feel the same.
I get the feeling that Austin Marolla is still growing as an artist. But he's clearly found his voice as a songwriter and learned how to use his voice as a singer. "Christmas Kiss" is an album of intelligently written Pop songs which put assorted aspects of the season into proper perspective and celebrate every facet. But the key to it all is something you can neither teach nor learn. Austin Marolla loves life. That is so clear throughout "Christmas Kiss (Deluxe Edition)". He's having a blast. And, because he's having a blast, you do, too. That's the real magic. Oh, why the "Deluxe Edition" designation? Because that's what Austin wanted to call it. [UPDATE: Clarification from the artist, himself. The "Deluxe Edition" was intended to refer to a version which would include the videos that have and are being filmed, such as the one for "Miracles" up top. Somewhere, communications got crossed and it became "Deluxe Edition" everywhere.]
There will be an official video for "Big Fat Christmas"...but I'm not waiting.
RSS Feed
