Review by Abby Kenna
The Independent Sound’s new release, “My Favorite Holiday”, lives at the intersection between classic seasonal favorites and modern pop writing.
One of the most effective and unique aspects within “My Favorite Holiday” is the relationship between the arrangement and lyrical composition. Instead of keeping each section the same each time they repeat, The Independent Sound alters the instrumental construction to support the lyrical message best. For example, the second verse features the following lyrics:
“Snowflakes are falling all around / can’t see the road, snow is on the ground…”
Invoking a soft image of a white, winter wonderland and slowly falling snowflakes, this section is accompanied by an equally dreamy arrangement. Twinkling piano melodies and strings that leave airy space allow the delicacy of these lyrics to be embraced and supported. Vocally, the song's verses are sung by a delicate and lovely soprano lead who sounds timeless. She is followed by a fuller and festive choir sound on the choruses
Similarly, as the arc of the song grows and develops in the second chorus, the arrangement builds in turn. Marching drums layer in – a clever, festive nod to “Little Drummer Boy”. Also, the bridge showcases this attention to detail, dropping the usual instrumentation for a finger-picked guitar and new chord progression to emphasize the transitional section.
The ending of “My Favorite Holiday” encapsulates the song as a whole. It closes with a reflective, poignant reiteration of the verse, just as delicate and soft as it was at the beginning. Except, this time listeners are able to hear these words with a new perspective after hearing the entire song. It’s a nostalgic ending to The Independent Sound’s heartwarming holiday tune.
The Independent Sound has filled the Christmas song stocking to the top this year with "My Favorite Holiday" which has plenty of special gifts for the ears to unwrap this season.
About The Independent Sound The Independent Sound is a Canadian inventor, technical designer, composer, arranger, prodigious drummer and multi-instrumentalist, poet, scenographer, pattern engineer, applied mathematician, systems engineer, and autodidactic polymath.
. Throughout their music career, they've placed a heavy emphasis on collaboration with other artists, lending the definitive style of The Independent Sound to a diverse roster of collaborators as well as solo works.