REVIEW: Linda Imperial — “Christmas You and Me” (SINGLE)
Christmas songs are some of the most beloved in our culture, and in her new single “Christmas You and Me,” singer/songwriter Linda Imperial issues what I would deem a modern classic all her own. Delivering a soothing lead vocal alongside tempered instrumentation perfectly suited to the crisp winter mood of the holiday season, “Christmas You and Me” doesn’t fail to keep us stimulated with tonal and textural expressiveness the same. This hasn’t been a normal year by any measure, but here, Imperial is delivering just the bit of holiday spirit we need to make this season feel a little more enchanting.
URL: https://www.lindaimperial.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lindaimperialmusic/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lindaimperialmusic/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LindaImperial
The vocal in this track has a fragile feel that makes the harmony it connects all the warmer, and none of this comes as the result of sophisticated studio intervention. Every element of this song is remarkably organic and unforced, leading us into the narrative with an easy going simplicity that synchs up with the gentle rhythm perfectly. I was impressed by the maturity and diverse elegance of the arrangement right out of the box, but as I listened to “Christmas You and Me” a few times through, it became obvious just how big a release this is for Linda Imperial.
These lyrics are lent significant authenticity from the manner of Imperial’s vocal delivery, and were there a different singer at the mic I’m not convinced this would be the same chills-creating number it is in this instance. She puts her own imprint on the song before we reach the first chorus, and whether you’ve been following her work prior to this release or not, it’s clear even in a casual listening session just how much passion she has for the medium in general. There’s no slowing the momentum she sparks in the opening verses, and I can imagine this would be especially true of a live performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD9xIrj-yTg&feature=youtu.be
You’ve got to appreciate a careful approach to rhythm amidst the overeager culture the bulk of this artist’s contemporaries have created for themselves in 2020, and in “Christmas You and Me,” Linda Imperial shows us that she takes every percussive beat in her music quite seriously. The melody and the groove are equally soft and endearing here, and while the drums don’t get as much love from behind the board as the harmony does, their contribution to the overall emotionality of both the performance and the narrative at hand is impossible for even the most inexperienced of critics to miss.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ulH2qWVGdDxSNcCzj4hgA?si=xh-axRO5QQ2WQdu98Mwl7Q
It’s hard to be a humbug when listening to something as charming as Linda Imperial’s most recent work inside of the studio, and if you haven’t already heard “Christmas You and Me” this season, I’d recommend taking a peek at it as soon as you can. December is never a predictable month in the music industry, but this might be too great an understatement for anyone to make in 2020; ultimately, it is indie artists like Imperial who keep the beat alive in this part of the year, and she’s doing an incredible job of that in this track.
Colin Jordan
