Country music star Brett Eldredge releases Christmas album “Glow”

Brett Eldredge, country music star, has turned Sinatra in his new Christmas album “Glow” that was released October 28. Though it was released in the fall, the album is gaining major traction now that the season is right.

Christmas albums are here and there, a dime a dozen. Each singer sings the same Christmas carols and spreads the same Christmas cheer. But lo and behold, a newcomer to the Christmas scene.

Brett Eldredge is a 30-year-old country singer from Paris, Illinois. After co-writing some songs for other country artists, Eldredge broke into the music business himself with his debut single “Raymond” in 2010.

He began getting more attention with the release of “Don’t Ya”, in 2012, and it was his first single to hit the top 20 country charts. That single and two more from his album “Bring You Back” made the charts and created a great name for Eldredge. Eldredge released another album in 2015, “Illinois”, showing off his roots, and it landed him #1 on the country album charts.

Eldredge knew he wanted a particular sound to “Glow”. He recorded the album at Avatar Studios in New York City. This is the same studio where the likes of Tony Bennett, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen have recorded.

Eldredge dressed up in the studio everyday; classy looks for classy sounds. To add to the atmosphere that would hopefully bleed into the album, the only refreshments present were Jack Daniels and Macallan.

This is a typical album in composition, so if you’re looking for something completely fresh, you’re out of luck. There are 10 classic Christmas songs, which include “White Christmas”, “Silent Night”, “Merry Little Christmas”, and “Winter Wonderland”. Also included is a duet of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” sung with Meghan Trainor.

Eldredge has somehow managed to meld both his unique country sound with the dulcet tones of Sinatra. He may have strayed a bit far from his original sound, but it makes the music all the more interesting. The music is saturated with classic horns, strings, and saxophones. If you squint your eyes, you can almost imagine sitting in the smoky interior of a jazz club.

With not a slide guitar or banjo in sight, Eldredge strays from strictly country music and broadens his artistic talents. It really can be described only as the big city, New York feel (a feeling that got to #2 on both the Country and Christmas charts).

The highlight of the album, however, may be “Glow”, a song written by Eldredge. You may have actually heard it, it is featured in one of the new Chevy Christmas commercials. A Christmas love song crooned so perfectly is bound to stick around for a few seasons.

Despite the new song, if you aren’t a fan of the classics, this isn’t an album for you. It supplies an old-school feeling to songs we all know. Some may think that Eldredge is trying too hard to sound like Sinatra, or that he sound just stick to his country sound in general, but most reviews seem to be positive.

Do not let Eldredge’s country star title scare you away; you’ll want to listen to this. This is not a country album; this is a holiday spirit album. With his jazzy feel, a newly written song, and that fuzzy Christmas feeling, you may not listen to another album for the rest of the season.