Now in its third year, The Sing-Off, NBC's smash series based on our own annual Harmony Sweepstakes, just keeps getting better and better. The show went weekly on primetime in 2011, and set out to find the country's best a cappella groups by holding auditions in four major cities, and this shows in both the quantity and quality of this year's contestants. "Songs of the Season is a very Contemporary Christmas album of 13 cuts, some of our favorites are old favorites that sound completely new, such as Dartmouth Aires' big fun take on Doo-Wop take on "Up on the Housetop," Pentatonix' "We Three Kings," and U of Rochester Yellowjackets' "Carol of the Bells." Sonos' "Coventry Carol" has a wonderful harmonic blend that sounds accompanied, giving it an urban sound while respecting its original haunting lyrics; Vocal Point's "Infant Lowly, Infant Holy" is stunningly pure and lovely; "Winter Wonderland" is another chestnut taken in a bright, new Doo-Wop direction by North Shore. "In the Bleak Midwinter," is given a beautiful, subtle arrangement by Kinfolk, building to a powerful, complex harmonic blend; and we would have to give Urban Method the award for "most innovative" with their Hip-Hop take on "I Saw Three Ships." "Jingle Bells," the bonus track by last year's winners Committed, is given a sweet, urban edge, and serves as icing on the cake to this delightful, envelope-pushing collection! The quest, if you will, of the Harmony Sweepstakes since its founding 27 years ago has been to showcase the ultimate instrument, the human voice, and the Sing-Off has carried on this quest to a huge, admiring audience, which can only grow with great CDs like "Songs of the Season." And what can we say, but "Bravo!" |
