Acoustic Christmas By Camille Nelson

 

Acoustic Christmas

By

Camille Nelson

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

How very grateful I am for the release of this album entitled Acoustic Christmas by Camille Nelson, as the host of the Acoustica show on One World Music Radio I was struggling to find quality acoustic work for my Christmas show, and then this gem comes along!

I now have so much to choose from, the guitar refrains of the uplifting favourite O Come, All Ye Faithful just fill me with a lightness of spirit, the crisp and clear notes serve as a beautiful beginning to the album.

To follow this up with the exciting and happy tones of one of my personal favourites Joy to The World was a clever move; it continued the theme of happiness and goodwill, something we all need right now more than ever.

I believe that this album has come at a perfect time for the planet, we need to have our energies uplifted from the constant negativity that surrounds us, and it’s tracks like Little Drummer Boy that will help; once more the performance is sublime by Nelson, one that also features the classy talents of Yahosh Bonner on vocals, creating a real folk styled ethic into the mix.

Wexford Carol is another cultural classic that needs not to be forgotten, and a mood filled performance here by the artist can be found, there is a beautiful smooth texture to this arrangement that is undeniably memorable and perhaps even film score standard.

As we reach the mid-way juncture of the album we come across a superb track featuring KORA entitled Still, Still, Still. The vocals here are some of the finest you will hear in this genre and the calmness that flows from the recording is blissful.

Once in David's Royal City is a very well-known Carol, I certainly remember it from my childhood, as do millions of others no doubt too. Here you have a charming musical narrative drawn by the artist that seems to paint a picture of this time of year with every note played, and every string plucked.

Another one of my personal favourites was More Holiness Give Me feat. Kimberly Knighton & Britney Holman, only the acoustic guitar can give a feeling to the composition like this, and the vocals were another level of harmonic bliss to bathe within.

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly continues the soft and gentle tones of the album, and brings us short but pleasing moment of instrumental pleasure. The tempo of this track is also something to greatly enjoy as is the arrangement by Nelson, one that adds a layer of peace into the weave.

Our penultimate offering is O Holy Night feat. Marj Desius, a multi-lingual offering that offers not only uniqueness, but a beautiful song to just simply enjoy, and then to end the album in the best way possible with a Christmas standard that just about everyone will recognise in Silent Night, is a stroke of acoustic genius.

Acoustic Christmas by Camille Nelson is one of the most soothing musical collections of classic Christmas tracks out this year, and released at a perfect time when so much confusion, fear and suffering is upon the world, the very acoustic nature of stripping pieces down bare, then recreating utter seasonal classics in a fresh, exciting, but calming and uplifting way, is not only a thoughtful thing to give to the world, but a musical panacea that may well ease the passage to peace.