Callann Lane

The bitter cold hit Chicago for real last week, as did the big, puffy winter jackets, a jolting reminder that Christmas is right around the corner. I personally am enjoying it, but I’m not so sure my roommate who is new to the Chicagoland area shares my enthusiasm. I’m all into the Christmas mood (yes, I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet!), so when there was an opportunity to review a Christmas EP, I jumped at it. Unfortunately, Callann Lane’s (formerly known as Cali) EP, Christmas This Year, disappointed me as much as the cold weather has my roommate.

The EP, which was released as an exclusive on iTunes at the end of October, contains six songs. Two are classic Christmas songs: “Carol of the Bells” and “Let it Snow.” Three songs are originals: “Christmas this Year (Emma’s Song),” “Harmony,” and “Glorious Things.” And one is a cover: “Holiday.”

Christmas This Year starts out strong with “Carol of Bells.” The arrangement has an edge to it, bringing the song into the present without losing the beautifully haunting melody for which it is famous. Likewise, Lane’s rendition of “Let it Snow” brings guitars to the forefront instead of the usual big band sound that accompanies the song and throws in some good “Bee Bops” from the backup singers for good measure. Her covers of these two traditional songs are unique and enjoyable among the hundreds of other covers out there of the same songs.

I believe that original Christmas songs are the hardest songs to create, and Lane’s Christmas EP proves it with the three originals it contains. Immediately after opening strong with “Carol of the Bells,” Christmas This Year crashes with it’s title song. An original with lyrics and melody that are segmented and choppy is sung with an over-the-top sweetness, making it cheesy and at home in a Christmas play, but not on a Christmas album that houses a voice as strong as Lane’s. “Harmony” is what my grandpa would call a “seven-eleven song”; the song contains a limited number of words that just get repeated again and again. It too is sung with the over-the-top sweetness and grates on your nerves. “Glorious Things” did have many redeeming qualities, but sounded like a worship song you would have heard in church any Sunday, and not necessarily a Christmas-themed song. The lyrics, melody, and overall beautiful sound of Lane’s voice, convinced me that “Christmas this Year” and “Harmony” were far below what she is capable of producing.

If you aren’t going to bring anything new to a song that has been around for twenty-some odd years, then don’t do it. The purpose of covering a song is not to sing it exactly like the artist who made the song famous, but showcasing your ability to take a famous song and adding your individuality to it. Lane’s vocals favor Madonna’s (the original singer of the song), but her rendition of “Holiday” makes her sound just like a copycat instead of having the ability to be as strong a singer as Madonna, which I believe she might be. Copycatting is just one problem with “Holiday.” Not updating the song musically from 1983 when it was first sung, is another. Lane’s cover sounds so 80’s—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but on an EP titled Christmas This Year it’s a little ironic.

The one redeeming factor about Lane’s EP is that you can purchase the songs individually on iTunes. “Carol of the Bells” and “Let it Snow” are worth your money, but skip the rest of the EP.

Tagged as: Callann Lane, Christmas This Year EP

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