Vonda Shepard

A Very Ally Christmas

Probably the best Christmas album I own

Review Score:

(8/10)
From small-time singer to making the big time with Ally McBeal, Vonda Shepard once again proves that she's a more than competent singer even when singing someone else's tunes. This Christmas collection is a variety pack of different Christmas songs (many actually used in the show) that thankfully doesn't go either one way or the other into happy or sad. This is the first album in the Ally collection to include guest stars from the show singing, something that works a lot better than you would have expected.

Vonda Shepard tunes make up most the album though, and she's perfect whether singing Broadway-like songs such as Man With The Bag (probably the best Shepard song on here) or such stalwarts as Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, in which she reveals a very soulful voice that suits the song perfectly. Of course, the novelty lies in the guest stars and their interpretations of popular Christmas tunes. Winter Wonderland is completely suited to Macy Gray's husky vocals and fits remarkably well on an album that is made up only of people involved in the show. Of the show's stars, the best offering without doubt is from Jane Krakowski who plays Elaine. Her voice is just phenomenal and she has a real personality. In fact, her sexy and fun renditions of Run Rudolph Run and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus are so good you can't help but wish she's release an album herself. Calista Flockhart also copes against amazing odds to belt out Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby in a kind of false naivity vocal that's great. Of course, the biggest surprise comes from Robert Downey Junior, who does real justice to two already fantastic songs - White Christmas and River. It would be unfair to say that River was the only showstopper of the album (there are too many to pick from), but it's definitely one of the best. The only song that doesn't really work is Lisa Nicole Carson's version of Santa Claus Got Stuck In My Chimney, which has nothing to do with her deep and sultry vocals but more with the style of the song that doesn't seem to fit somehow.

Other than that this is a varied and fun Christmas album that updates the old classics and even introduces some new ones. For fans of the show who'll have seen many of these performed this is a must (I think anyone who watched Ally singing Santa Baby will laugh when they hear the song), but it does wonders in that it's also a must for anyone else who's sick of the tired old Christmas compilations they release every year.

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