Sting
If On a Winter’s Night
Deutsche Grammophon
October 27, 2009

By Donald Weber

Sting releases yet another album, this time for the upcoming holiday season. This album, as the title might describe, is a winter album with many Christmas spirited songs. The songs will bring white and blue snow scenes from your past to mind.

If On a Winter’s Night isn’t for those people who hate seeing holiday decorations before Thanksgiving. However, for those who can get into the Christmas spirit early, this album is surprisingly good.

It may be a shocker to learn that Sting is releasing another album, but similar to seeing a surprisingly good movie, Sting’s new album comes out of nowhere and ends up being very good. Sting makes great use of different languages, cultural instruments and captivating background sounds. Track by track, you may find yourself becoming enthroned in the raspy-voiced songs that play.

As someone who likes Sting about as much as everyone else, and who doesn’t particularly fantasize about Christmas, I was very impressed by the entire concept. This album could make you start appreciating the time of year a little more, and it could just give you a relaxing thirty minutes to be plainly content.

This album isn’t like Sting’s other works. He seems to understand that he is aging and never pushes his voice out too far. These songs don’t resemble The Police or the solo works he produced throughout the eighties and nineties. There are no belting vocals and you won’t hear Sting’s voice crack while stretching like his older live renditions. Instead, Sting utilizes backup vocals and worldly tunes. His voice is like a soft narration to a Christmas movie. Think the 1982 film The Snowman.

It’s very disappointing that this album will probably be overlooked. If you like Sting, Christmas songs or need a good, soft-toned album, check out If On a Winter’s Night. Even if you just go to a local music store and finish a cup of coffee while sampling this album in the store, it’s definitely worth the time.

Sting has produced a dark horse among the many band comebacks so far this year. The difference is that his album is holiday-themed and not just a reworking of previous hits. These aren’t classic songs, reminiscent of the artist’s past, but they provide for a genuinely good new album.