pureNRG

I am pretty sure this CD should come with a warning sticker. Or at least an advisory to watch your heart rate… it’s like ten tracks of straight caffeine. I guess it’s a given coming from a group called ‘pureNRG”, but these spunky teens take it to a whole new level with this Christmas album.

The opener is a rousing cover of “Joy to the World” that is infused with an additional chorus, and some nice rearrangements of the verses. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” is a bounding track that is perky but suffers from a forgettable mix similar to the first track. Still, it benefits from a bass line that lends some musical stability, as well as some holiday-esque hand-bell effects. Following closely behind is an energetic and pleasant “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”, where the drums really carry the song, balanced by some nice vocal work by female members Caroline and Carolyne. In fact, the vocals are surprisingly excellent; much like their older predecessors Jump5, they all have amazing range, pitch and harmonies. On “Away in a Manger”, the trio truly succeeds by combining a subtle techno mix with solid, layered vocal arrangements.

My favorite track was “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, a cheerful tune that would make even the Jonas Brothers proud, with vocals that actually reminisce of early Jump5, and a guitar/drum blend that makes it very nearly danceable. Thankfully, the band gives us a breather on “Silent Night,” where they chose to keep it simple, with some nice synth effects and some breathy, angelic vocals from the NRG ladies.

It would have been prudent for the group to leave things there, however, because track 7 is where things go slightly downhill. “Jingle Bell Rock’, is like a sleigh ride on steroids. The pace is wearying, and the melody sounds eerily like the first three tracks on the disc. They do insert a pretty chorus of “Deck the Halls’ into the tiring song, but that’s about it’s only good point. The letdown continues on “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee’, where the slamming guitars and pesky, unoriginal drum rhythm may incite more migraines than sing-alongs, and the vocals verge on screaming. “Hark the Herald” sails through as a decent filler song, but is easily forgotten. It segues into a deafening version of “The 12 Days of Christmas”, which is not nearly as clever nor enjoyable as Relient K’s tongue-in-cheek version. All in all, it’s a squeaky clean, polished pop Christmas album. It falters towards the end, but the beginning tracks are definitely a credit to the threesome.

Nothing groundbreaking, but we didn’t ask them to be groundbreaking, did we? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. They play it safe, but succeed at what they set out to do, grinding out an album sure to please the High School Musical crowd.

Tagged as: A pureNRG Christmas, pureNRG

Does it Resonate with you?

Name (required)

Email (will not be published) (required)

URL