“GLEE” CAST. Spirited renditions.
If the cast members of “Glee” warmed your hearts last Christmas with their spirited renditions of “We Need A Little Christmas,” “Deck The Rooftop” and “Merry Christmas, Darling,” they’ll keep you singing along with the release of “Glee: The Christmas Album, Vol. 2.”
This time, two original tunes from Adam Anders, Peer Astrom and Shelly Peiken will get you grooving: “Extraordinary Merry Christmas” is notable for its upbeat melody and lovely harmonies, while “Christmas Eve With You” bursts with optimism, boosted by its finger-snapping orchestration.
As usual, Amber Riley doesn’t disappoint — her cover of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is even better than the breathy, gimmicky original. Another carol that gets a more straightforward rendition is Eartha Kitt’s ubiquitous “Santa Baby,” by Naya Rivera.
Ethereal sound
For a more ethereal sound, listen to Lea Michele’s angelic cover of Joni Mitchell’s “River” — truly heart-warming! And, if you haven’t had your fill of Chris Colfer and Darren Criss’ playfully flirtatious “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” there’s more to be had in their big-band version of “Let It Snow.”
The album includes treats for the followers of “The Glee Project”: Samuel Larsen performs “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” with Cory Monteith and Mark Salling, while Lindsay Pearce and Alex Newell share “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Damian McGinty is even luckier — he gets to sing “Blue Christmas” solo!
Other top picks: The “Glee” Cast’s inspiring version of Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” and Chris Butler’s irresistibly idiosyncratic, B-52s-sounding “Christmas Wrapping.