REVIEW #1: 82/100

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Sabrina Carpenter has certainly been on our minds this year and she’s quickly proving herself to be a prominent force in the pop landscape. She released her debut album “On My Mind” earlier this year and has now returned with a Christmas offering, showing that Sabrina is not slowing down. Christmas music has become increasingly more popular over the years, but Sabrina is one of the few artists that put out a full Christmas album. How does a modern pop album sound in this climate? Lets dive in!

 

We are instantly greeted by a cheery, festive “Intro.” The song is effortlessly happy and uplifting. Some of the metaphors and similes could have used some extra thought, but let’s be real, Christmas music is definitely one time where it's acceptable to be a little bit extra with the lyrics. “Reminisce” is a perfect example of traditional meeting the current. Sabrina reminisces about the magic of Christmas as a child and the desire to retain some of that joy. It’s a very pretty song and deserves to be a hit for Sabrina! The song “Snow Falling” is definitely a highlight on the album. While a concern for the intro was some of the songwriting, the writing on this song is incredibly charming and paints a delectable picture of a city covered in snow. “Alone on Christmas’” placement on the album is perfect, serving a small break from the Christmas bops. This heartfelt ballad is another lyrical highlight and describes the heartwrenching situation of being alone on Christmas. The song “Lights” is a big single for Sabrina, and there’s no wonder why! It’s a perfectly produced pop song with deceitfully sad lyrics over quite a happy sound. This combination of sounds always seems to make the best Christmas songs. The festive moment of “Quiet Moment” with Ariana Grande is another highlight. It is very exciting hearing big pop songs reimagined as Christmas classics!

 

Overall, “Festive Lights” is a very short and sweet Christmas album. The pacing is well thought out, proffering a very pleasant listening experience. Some pitfalls include some lyrics, but that is often forgiven in Christmas songs. They’re designed to evoke feelings of nostalgia and happiness, and that’s just what Miss Carpenter did. An excellent body of work that will become a classic as the years pass! 

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REVIEW #2: 81/100

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2020 has been the year of Sabrina Carpenter. Despite debuting just this past spring, she is already one of the most vital, discussed, and attention grabbing artists in the business. With a universally acclaimed studio album, over a billion streams, and the title of Woman of the Year courtesy of Billboard, she’s conquered almost every territory that it normally takes artists quite awhile to get into. Now she’s attempting to tackle another market with her new Christmas album Festive Lights. Announced shortly before it’s release and preceded by a pair of double lead singles, the project comes as the unexpected follow up to her blockbuster debut and comes on the eve of her Christmas special. Featuring eight original tracks and, on Encore, three bonus covers, the album is a brisk listen and is marketed as a bit more of an experiment for the young singer. How much of an experiment is it? Let’s find out! 

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The album opens with a track simply titled “Intro” and it serves it’s purpose well. It gets the mood secured, the set dressed, and the table set with what you’d expect from a Christmas song. The caroling bells and the orchestra all make this feel really vintage and classic which isn’t something you can say about most modern Christmas music. Of course, it being an intro means there isn’t much to truly bite into, though not for lack of trying. The lyrics evoke rich holiday imagery and fill the listener with warmth when they hear them, so it cannot be said this little track doesn’t serve it’s purpose. The first proper track comes in the form of “Reminisce” which sees Sabrina longing for the simple joys of Christmas past. The perspective she takes on Christmas now is the unfortunate take many adults feel: stress and headache. From this perspective, she dreams of when Christmas was exciting and wondrous again. It’s an interesting take on a holiday song and while it might not fit into the door to door carollers setlists, it slots perfectly into this project. It’s a genuinely different concept for this type of music which is hard to do considering how well worn out this area of music is. The production is lively but also carries with a slight air of melancholy, almost as if the music is sighing in some spots. The lyrics aren’t always bulletproof but it’s easy to look over and get lost in the thoughts that the song manages to conjur up. 

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“Snowfall” is a far more traditional entry into the Christmas cannon but that doesn’t stop it from being an enjoyable one. The production here is the real star, employing a gorgeous orchestra to really make the listener feel as if they’re been transported into a world of Christmas magic and wonder. It really cannot be overstated how much warmth and light the sound of the song gives off. Genuinely stunning instrumentation all the way. Sabrina’s lyrics however aren’t quite as interesting as tthe music or as they were on the previous track. They’re completely serviceable, no doubt, but they are what you’d find in practically any Christmas song. Not bad, but not anything new like she’d so far offered. “Alone on Christmas” however is very different indeed. It’s not often that Christmas gets used as a vessel to share feelings of sadness, but that’s exactly what she does here and it works to a surprising effect. The gentle, simple arrangement allows for a lot of emotional space to dwell on and it’s matched wonderfully by Sabrina’s focused and beautiful songwriting (“So I sit here haunted by the candlelight” is a particular standout). It’s one of the best tracks on not only this project, but one of the best tracks Sabrina’s put her name on yet. 

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The album’s lead single “Lights” is still as wondrous as it was when we first heard it a few weeks back. Again, Sabrina chooses to use Christmas as a means of conveying more forlorn and sad emotion rather than something overly joyous and it continues to work in her favor. The song’s production is absolutely wonderful and manages to toe the line between Christmas like and comfortably radio ready. It’s aided by Sabrina’s personal and beautiful songwriting which manages to also toe a line between sad and almost warm. It’s a song that manages to make you feel butterflies while wiping a tear from your eye which is an impressive feat. “Here With You” doesn’t quite manage to be as brilliant however. We make a swift move into happier territory which isn’t a bad thing by any means, but stepping into this territory sacrificed it seems the more personal and focused songwriting. Again Sabrina evokes things we’re familiar with within Christmas music and while it’s perfectly solid for what it is, it doesn’t feel particularly fresh. The production is also rather monotonous repetitive which can grow tiresome as it cracks on. It’s a solid enough song but it cannot be called a highlight. 

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Up next is the festive version of Sabrina’s biggest hit to date “Quiet Moment”. Though not one of the strongest cuts from her debut album, there’s an undeniable charm to this presentation. There was I’m sure temptation to make this overly complicated from a production standpoint considering Ariana Grande was on board, but there’s a surprising amount of restraint. It’s very clear that this is meant to be fun, but it doesn’t get too far ahead of itself and allows the song to breathe without going overboard with the Christmas remix. Like it’s original version, it’s not going to be called the best song on display here, but in a way, it is more fun than the original. The album closes on “January Nights” which is quite a strong closer. Lyrically the song returns to Sabrina’s personal and reflective style that populated the album’s best tracks and we’re left with something bittersweet. She’s happy it happened, sad that it ended. To be so young, she’s writing from experience it seems and this allows the song to be quite intimate. Production wise, we’re treated to a memorable melody and layered sounds that aren’t overly complex, a perfect combination. When the strings come in at the back portion of the song, the song elevates even further to something special. Though it’s length is a little excessive, it doesn’t change the beauty of the song. A perfect closer. 

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Making a genuinely solid Christmas album is no easy task. It’s a field that’s been trodden upon by artists looking for a quick buck almost as long as the idea of albums has existed. But Sabrina Carpenter has shown throughout her young career that she’s always got a few surprises up her sleeve. Sabrina, in these eight tracks, managed to make a Christmas album that sounds new. Her unique perspective on the season, and the way in which she chose to employ the standard conventions of this genre make this something that stands out as unique. It doesn’t feel like a cash in. This feels like an album that got attention, that had a lot of time and care taken to ensure that it was special. And special it is. Though not as brilliant as her debut, it is nevertheless another notch in her belt and something more for her to be proud of. If you’re looking for a soundtrack to your holiday season’s late nights by candlelight, you really need not look any further than this wonderful collection of songs.

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REVIEW #3: 74/100

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Sabrina Carpenter - Festive Lights Read our full track by track review below.

 

01. Intro (60/100) When you first listen to the intro, you right away get into the Christmas spirit. The song itself is nothing too special and is just a simple introduction to the rest of the album Sabrina [Carpenter] has in store for us. The intro should’ve been scrapped as it doesn’t add too much to the album itself.

 

02. Reminisce (80/100) Reminisce is a good way to start off the album. The intro of the song with the audio from a home video is very adorable and is welcoming to the listener to the song. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas gives a warm feeling all along. The song itself is beautiful, looking back at younger times and how you look back at Christmas. “Little innocent child, blue eyes so wide. Counting down the days ‘till Christmas night” really sets it all. We all looked forward to Christmas when we were younger and that is exactly what Sabrina sings about in the song.

 

03. Snow Fall (80/100) The instrumental used for this song brings a happy vibe to your home if you are listening to this on your phone or stereo. This song catches your attention whether you agree or disagree on it, but it’s true. The song captures the meaning of the beautiful looks Christmas gives, snow, snowballs, the city being lit up with beautiful lights and amazing decorations. Memories of you and the one you love being together for Christmas.

 

04. Alone On Christmas (90/100) This song is in kind of an ‘emotional’ state compared to the other three songs we heard so far. After spending so many Christmases with your family and loved ones, you are this year celebrating it alone. The song captures the feeling of being alone with Christmas and no one should ever be alone with Christmas, I’m not going to lie but I needed to remove a tear from my cheek while listening to this. Wishing you are with your family again for Christmas next year.

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05. Lights (70/100) The lead single of the album and just like with ‘Snow Fall’, this song catches your attention, with the lyrics but also with the instrumental and beat drums of the song. I think this song speaks for a lot of people, when you have this special person and you feel like you’re on top of the world and going to celebrate the best time of year with that person, but nothing is secure, and now you are all alone wishing you want this person back in your life.

 

06. Here With You (80/100) This song is about finally being together with someone for Christmas, this is a cute little feel good song for the holidays and makes you move along the living room! “Said you wanted to keep it a surprise, that this Christmas I’d see you here” says it all. She has been so alone (as we can tell via the songs) and now finally a loved one (or loved ones) is with her for Christmas and she couldn’t be more happier.

 

07. Quiet Moment with Ariana Grande (60/100) So, making your single from your debut album into a Christmas themed song. I really don’t know what I need to say about this, but I feel like this song was a little unnecessary on this album even though it fits well within the story. Still, I feel like this song should have been left out on the album. Sabrina’s and Ariana’s vocals match well together, that is something I have to say

 

08. January Nights (70/100) I think we can all agree on how long the month January feels after having such incredible days with Christmas and New Years. This song, to us, is about feeling sad after the holidays end and you cannot wait for it to be next year so you can do it all over again with family and loved ones.

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So, to put it in perspective. Sabrina Carpenter made a cute, fun and joyful Christmas album which we can all love. Even though we see a lot of artists making a Christmas album and releasing it every new year makes it not really special anymore, just because everyone is doing it. Reminisce, Snow Fall and Alone On Christmas are the highlights from the album.