True Vibe Records Affiliated Artists Featuring "BJ," John Patrick Douglas, & Yazameen
Reviewed by Aaron Cloutier
Oakland, California-based label True Vibe Records founder William Albert Jackson presents “Christmas Cheer Is Here Again.” An infectious blend of R&B, Jazz/Funk, and Latin infused with Blues instrumentation, hip-hop beats, and inspired vocals ranging from singing to full Rap.
Labeled by Jackson himself as “Socially-Conscious Multi-Genre (SCMG) music,” the aim of “Christmas Cheer Is Here Again,” like other tracks in the True Vibe Records’ catalog, is to entertain, educate, enlighten, and inspire listeners.
Right off the bat, the mood throughout the piece is consistently exciting. Head bobbing grooves mix with uplifting synth and trumpet synthesizer patches while organs pepper the sonic landscape with tasty flourishes. The vibe is hypnotic, and the super danceable nature of the piece never lets up in the best possible way.
The majority of the vocals on “Christmas Cheer” are sung, but the rhythm and cadence bring to mind a slight hip-hop influence. Perhaps that could be due to the high-energy beat supporting everything causing the vocals to be accentuated by it’s influence. I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Also, I’ve gotta say, that line “Gotta go back Gotta Gotta go back” is such a hook! I love how some vocal harmonies are tucked behind the lead to lift the line. It certainly adds to the uplifting component of the song.
Musically speaking, there were some nice surprises on the first listen. One of them is a rather tasty key change that occurs just before a wailing saxophone solo. To my ear, things modulate up a half step (going from F# to G) as the soloist throws down hard! As things revert back to F# towards the solo’s end, surprise number two occurs as I’m hit with an utterly satisfying old-school hip-hop-flavored verse.
In Jackson’s own words, the song is “About a guy who loves to go back to his hometown every year to enjoy the holiday festivities. This song was written to be a fun, jubilant dance track that is full of nostalgia.”
That is an accurate description from my point of view. Check it out if you’ve got the need to dance.
About True Vibe Records
Internet record label True Vibe Records, based in Oakland, California, was founded by owner Bill Jackson, who has had a burning passion for offering a new genre of music to the listening public. This music, called Socially-Conscious Multi-Genre (SCMG) music aka Jazz Funk Hip HoPoetry, consists of inspirational singing, conscious raising spoken word and hip-hop lyrics over upbeat R & B, jazz funk, Latin, and blues instrumentation as well as hip hop beats. According to Jackson, this music is a potpourri or hybrid of musical genres designed to entertain, educate, enlighten, and inspire people.
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