Singer
Hirahara Ayaka is quite renowned for her quite unique takes on other artists' works by now. Her first single, released back in December 2003, was a vocalised version of
Holst's
Jupiter and was one of the best selling singles of 2004. This November she released her
Winter Songbook, a collection of warming songs for the festive season.
A quick glance over the tracklist would cast some doubt over the song choices, and left to anyone else's vocal chords they may have been a mistake.
Hirahara and her team's tasteful handling of the arrangements can usually be counted on to win over most however, and this album proves no exception. Opening track
Auld Lang Syne, starts in a typical
Hirahara style with a soft, traditional version of the original for the first minute before the pop and rock instruments take over to make it a modern cover. The embellishments are kept to a minimum, instead allowing the velvety vocals to stand out and make for a gentle and stirring pop experience. This subtle handling of the old folk song means it actually survives it's translation to Japanese pop. It probably wouldn't replace the original for Hogmanay, but there's no doubting that it's much more soothing for when the hangover arrives the next day.
Hirahara's interesting adaptation of the old English Christmas carol
The First Noel is also unlikely to be heard in churches anytime soon. It is difficult to identify it at first as it sounds utterly different from the source material. The lyrics were changed by
Hirahara herself from the religious to the purely romantic and are very saccharine as a result but it is still a sweet and most delicate ballad.
There are some songs which aren't dramatically made over, but remain pretty faithful to the original vision. The
Jennifer Warnes and
Leonard Cohen collaboration
Song of Bernadette is still a piano and string-led arrangement, and
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) is barely changed apart from its lack of the poignant children's chorus of
Lennon's version. It's a brave artist who tries to redo
Pharrell Williams' unstoppable 2014 track,
Happy, but it is indeed attempted here.
Hirahara's bright and charismatic performance means that it's still as joyful as intended, but the addition of some overpowering synth makes it sound more worthy of a karaoke booth at times.
Never one to shy away from taking on the greats,
Hirahara has included her own tributes to
The Carpenters and
Bette Midler as well.
I Need To Be In Love and
The Rose are both much more stripped back than their original counterparts. In the former track the power ballad drums and hearty choral backing have been removed, so while it doesn't have the impact of
The Carpenters' track it has a more tender tone. It also has a pleasantly nostalgic air and comes across as a solo number in an old school musical. Similarly, in her version of the
Midler hit all of the volume of the original powerhouse chorus has been replaced instead with an understated solo, allowing us to appreciate the nuances of the skillful vocals.
Among the stronger tracks is a nicely jazzy
My Favorite Things, played in a bold big band arrangement rather than the soulful blues style that other artists have favoured in the past. At just over two minutes long it doesn't stick around, but from the sultry bit of sax at the start to the exuberant swinging brass to finish, plenty of content is packed into those minutes. The translation to Japanese lyrics means that it also packs the syllables in tightly sometimes, but the track is so cheery that it can be forgiven. Another good inclusion is the touch of glamour that is
Smile, a slightly more melancholy version of
Charlie Chaplin and
Nat King Cole's classic. The no-frills vocals and romantic musical arrangement transport the listener back the era of black and white movies effortlessly.
The album couldn't be brought to a close in a grander fashion. The multi-talented
Hirahara played the role of
Christine in
Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom" sequel, "Love Never Dies", earlier this year. The showstopper number of the same name really proves why she was chosen for the part. This track sounds unchanged from the one featured on the stage, giving those unable to attend an idea of her live performance. Since she isn't classically trained her performance of this is in two halves: the lower tones sound more pop and the higher register possesses the strong vibrato and sonorous quality considered "operatic", although it is occasionally a little shrill. Still, her emotional connection to the role and the moment are clearly expressed and she brings a lot of warmth to the aria. The climactic final chorus also succeeds in creating shivers down the spine.
It has to be said that only about three of the tracks included in
Winter Songbook could truly be said to be "wintry", so its marketing might be deemed mis-selling. Just as a collection of feel good songs though, it could be played to accompany a warm gathering during cold weather, so it fulfills that brief. Regardless of the occasion,
Hirahara Ayaka's voice makes all of the tracks work where another artist might fail, and her faultless singing throughout is the clear reason to get this album.
Check out the clips of the music videos for
Auld Lang Syne and
My Favorite Things below.
