I made this for our christmas edition which... still isn't finished despite the fact we were supposed to print monday of last week. Annoying. Anyways this version didnt make it in unfortunately, I dont think there was enough time to put it all in so a shortened version was put in. So here the long one goes!
Jschlatt is a youtuber who got popular over the pandemic for being a part of the DreamSMP, a Minecraft server hosted by the youtuber Dream. In December of last year Jschlatt put out a cover of the song 'My Way' by Frank Sinatra, because at the time people were making AI covers of songs using Jschlatt’s voice, and he thought it would be funny if he sung better than the AIs. Afterwards people started asking for a Christmas album and Jschlatt thought that making a Christmas album would be really funny. Jschlatt spent thousands and thousands of dollars to make this album, hiring an arranger, a composer, a vocal coach, and a bunch of musicians to make the backing instrumentals. He recorded this at the famous Sound Factory in Hollywood, California, the same place that artists like Doja Cat and Frank Sinatra himself recorded at! Jschlatt was actually able to use the exact microphone that Frank Sinatra used when he recorded his albums, truly completing the vibe.
The album dropped December 1st, his album is called A Very 1999 Christmas, which is a play on Frank Sinatra’s, A Very Sinatra Christmas. The cover art of the album is a call back to Dean Martin’s, The Dean Martin Christmas Album. The name is based around an inside joke of the Jschlatt fanbase, where in his videos he jokes about having committed atrocities in 1999, it is also his birth year. But how does the actual album hold up?
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town is the first song on the album, and the first to be released as a teaser for the album on November 7th. It’s a very jazzy song, the backing instruments are a big highlight, especially the horns. Jschlatt’s voice is very smooth, reminiscent of Frank Sinatra. The very end is the best part, when he sings "yes he’s on his way, he’s got toys all over the sleigh" it really hits the spot, and then the "Santa! is coming to town!" where he pushes his vocals a bit, its *chefs kiss*. The song is a classic and only 2 minutes long, short and sweet.
The Christmas Song is the second song on the album. You may not recognize the song by the title, but this is the "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" song. Definitely my least favourite song on the album, not because it’s not good, the song is objectively good. The instruments are nice, they flow, and the vocals are pleasant, like warm cocoa. However, I find that this song has been ruined for me by the meme of the guy singing "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" it’s all I can think about when the song opens. Not only that but for me the song is too mellow, its too slow, it takes its time and makes you savour it, I don’t like that. If you like slower songs, you’d definitely enjoy this, but its just not for me.
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! is the third song and was the second to be released on its own before the album, on November 21st. The backing instrumental is upbeat, cozy, the strings, flute, and bass are perfect. I like his vocals the most here, feeling like caramel. The entire song works together and has this warm homey feeling. The song is just under 2 minutes and honestly, I wish it went on for just a little longer because of how much I enjoy it. This song was already a favourite of mine and stands as my favourite rendition of this classic.
Happy Holiday is the fourth and most upbeat song on the album. The instruments are very jolly, in the cheery holiday spirit, and Schlatt’s vocals are really pushed here, especially close to the end, letting his vocals shine, showing his range. This song is the first one to have backing vocals as well, which I think adds to the atmosphere, like you’re with a group of friends in front of a fireplace. The spirit of the song is very contagious, making you feel festive while listening.
Baby Its Cold Outside is the fifth song on the album and is a pretty controversial song that you don’t hear often. As my favourite it was a delightful surprise to hear him cover it. The song is controversial because people think that it’s about a man pressuring a woman to stay the night with him, but it’s not. At the time the original was made it was taboo to just agree to stay the night with someone, you were supposed to play hard to get; say no, but not actually mean it. The woman in this song is just a backing choir, it’s not a duet, but that’s okay, I just don’t like how quiet they are compared to Schlatts voice. I can’t complain too much though, because his voice is really lovely here, able to make anyone swoon. The instruments are quiet, allowing your focus to be more drawn to the singing and really compliments them well.
White Christmas is the sixth song, another slower song, but it works better here. I must admit that the song took a while to grow on me. I still don’t like the slowness, but it doesn’t go on too long, and Schlatt’s voice is nice. Theres a section with just the choir singing, and that’s my favourite part, it feels dream-like. The instruments are really strong here, there’s a quiet drum that I didn’t notice in my first few listens, it blends in with the bass wonderfully.
Its The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year is the second to last song on the album. It brings the feeling back up from the slowness of White Christmas, like a wake-up call with how it suddenly starts. This has always been another favourite of mine and I think Schlatt’s rendition really does it justice. The backing vocals have their own small section, it works really well, if only they were just a tad louder. The horns here are great, another real standout song for them. The song is very bombastic, great for anyone who is enthusiastic about Christmas.
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is the final song on the album, and personally it’s not the note I would have left off on but I understand why it was chosen. It’s another slow song, there really isn’t much to say that hasn’t been said about the other slow songs. Its has a warm feeling, and I wouldn’t mind hearing it on the radio. It feels like something out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. There is a saxophone solo, that’s the highlight of the song for me, mostly just because I like saxophones.
A Very 1999 Christmas is a perfect Christmas album. Its jazzy, has all the classics, its something you can share with your parents, and they’d enjoy the album too. It has this nice warm cocoa feeling to it, really homey, it was made with love that shines through all the songs. I’m usually not one for Christmas music, but this album has shown me the true meaning of Christmas, making my heart grow three sizes.