Marc Biala – Snowfall Serenade: A Christmas Celebration

Marc Biala – Snowfall Serenade: A Christmas Celebration – Album Review

All good things…as they say…come to an end…

…but I was on a pretty incredible run, wasn’t I?  I feel like I managed to escape the last two or three holiday seasons without any Christmas music being sent in at all…and if you look at the ol’ calendar dear readers, dear friends…well…I was very close to outrunning this one too.  Alas, here we are though – Marc Biala has officially ended the hot streak of my Xmas avoidance – but to the rest of ye be warned – this does not mean that the floodgates are open!  You keep those Christmas tunes to yourselves y’all!

Where I’m going to give Mr. Biala a pass that I wouldn’t normally extend to a batch of Christmas tunes, is in the fact that I haven’t heard a single one of these before!  For real…when was the last time you felt like you could say that about a holiday album, right?  That alone eliminates the tedium I usually experience in our seasonal anthems, and allows me the opportunity to actually enjoy something NEW in the holiday realm…and believe it or not, I’m actually very okay with the idea of doing that.  It’s a testament to how very rare a moment like this is…even in the best of scenarios where you find some new Christmas music, it’s still usually surrounded by a whole bunch of covers of the same stuff we’ve been hearing for years.  So heck yeah – I appreciate what Marc is doing and thank the man for providing our dinner tables with a bit of variety this year.  Plus, for what it’s worth, for a guy that is professing to be “just an indie artist for a hobby” – you can hear straight away on the opening track “Elf On The Shelf” that he’s got a right to be doing what he’s doing.  As a person that has critiqued a million albums or so by now (give or take a few), I can tell ya that I’ve heard many that have been phoned in throughout the years – but even if he considers himself to be “just an indie artist for a hobby” – he sounds committed to the moment in ways that so many aren’t.  As I listened to “Elf On The Shelf,” I felt the connection and I know that it’s genuine…in fact, I’d be willing to bet that Marc is THAT Christmas dude…you know the one – the guy that cheers just as loud as the kids do when Mariah is finally thawed out and it’s time to put up them lights – am I right Marc?  All kidding aside…I have no issues at all with “Elf On The Shelf” and I think there are a TON of parents out there that will truly appreciate having a solid new option of something they can listen to during the holiday season, and a song like this is obviously highly relevant for what’s happening in millions of homes across the planet right now.  I mean, it’s about time the Elf got himself an official theme-song, isn’t it?  So not only is it well-played and well-sung too, but it’s also a very smart & insightful way to approach Christmas music…Marc’s found space he can slide right into.

Where he’s going to score BIG points with listeners out there, or that is, the ones that have some miles under their feet – the adults – is on tracks like “Under The Christmas Moon.”  No joke folks, when I gave this song a spin for the first time, I did end up Googling it just to be sure that I wasn’t hearing a classic that I didn’t recognize right away…because in case you haven’t picked it up yet, I don’t spend a whole lot of time listening to the holiday music on this planet of ours, outside of my trips to the mall to get the yearly batch of presents.  Anyhow.  That in itself should tell you just about everything you’d need to know, wouldn’t it?  The mere fact that “Under The Christmas Moon” COULD have been a longstanding Christmas classic and carries that precise demeanor, sound, and presentation to it all?  Even if it proved not to be, that doesn’t mean it won’t go on to be one!  I’d readily tell you that Biala has himself a song that could very well go on to be covered eight ways from Sunday over the years to follow, and might just end up becoming part of the tunes endlessly played on Christmas morning every single year to follow.  I’m pretty happy with this song overall, and I feel like Marc should be too.  There’s a bit of a theatrical/show-tune feel to it underneath the sweetened jazzy surface…you can tell that Biala is a natural performer, and he’s honestly got a great voice.  I think we could probably go back & forth a bit about whether or not he could put a bit more projection into a spot or two here & there, but overall, the guy’s tone is on-point for the most part, but perhaps more importantly, he’s putting the heart into these songs as well.  He’s genuinely sincere in the music he’s making, and he’s into it – and I fully respect that.

I dunno…maybe I’m just getting softer in my old age.  I’ve got two beautiful nieces now, and I get to see a bit of the world through their eyes & hear it through their ears…so maybe I don’t mind the Xmas stuff as much as I used to.  I mean, if I’m being completely honest with ya, I just got back from Vegas where I took in the Lindsey Stirling concert on The Snow Waltz Tour…so maybe I’m just kidding myself…maybe I can tap into that holiday spirit when it’s done the right way.  Does that mean I’m gonna be spinning songs like “The Holiday Plane” 24/7/365?  Let’s not get out ahead of the tips of our skis just yet folks!  Do I recognize and hear that there’s space for a song like “The Holiday Plane” out there in our world?  Of course I do.  And again, for what it’s worth, I think what Marc is doing is highly relevant – there are tons of Christmas songs out there in this world, but not more than a real handful that directly deal with the travel aspect of it.  “The Holiday Plane” is all about getting into the air to get back to your loved ones, and I feel like he’s got a fairly unique angle when it comes to the song’s he’s written for this album.  Do I still want a bit more out of him when it comes to how he sings these tunes?  Sure.  We’re not talking about a whole lot though…like…from what I can see on his page at Spotify, we’re still on the inside of Biala’s first year putting his music out online…so give him a little time and he’ll continue to sharpen the corners I’m sure.  As it stands already, he’s sounding fantastic & getting a lot of mileage outta his voice.  All I’d do from here is make sure he’s keeping his eye out for those opportunities that can really give him a standout moment as well.  A song well-sung is always going to be an achievement, and don’t get me wrong – that’s what we’re hearing on “The Holiday Plane” – but I also feel like Marc could sit in the front of the advanced class, and spots like what you’ll hear fading out at the end could have also become a massive highlight if he went at that finale like the show-stopping moment it had the potential to be.  So it’s spots like that where he shows us a bit of room to evolve and refine his craft, but I’m confident based on everything that I’ve heard that he’ll have no problem getting there as time marches on.  The music is intact, elements like the backing vocals are great, Marc’s lead has personality…lots to cheer for.

When “White Elephant Magic” started up, I was immediately interested in the music…like, it’s the true sound of something special brewing and you feel it, instantly.  Overall, I’d tell you there isn’t just a good song here, but a massive hit in the making – think of “White Elephant Magic” as the Hamilton-inspired version of what a Christmas tune could be, and that’s what you’ll find here.  That being said, Biala is doing a LOT of things at the same time, and I’d be lying to ya if I didn’t mention that it trips him up a little bit along the way.  Doesn’t stop “White Elephant Magic” from being one of my favorite tracks on this record – I think it’s brilliantly well-written and seriously has more potential than most of these tunes do when it comes to where they could fit onto what playlist & how far they could possibly travel over time.  It ain’t easy to go the Lin-Manuel Miranda route, or we’d all be doing it – this much I know.  The switching in between light Rap and big Pop hooks seems to stop Biala from getting to the best of either, and I’d fully recommend that he keeps going back into the booth for “White Elephant Magic” until it is as perfect as perfect can be.  Right now, based on the quality of what we’ve heard from him on this very record and the songs surrounding “White Elephant Magic,” we know he’s got more in the tank than he brings to his performance on this particular tune, and that he’s got no choice but to choose between finding his way to the perfect note or to continue BREATHING.  I’m thankful he chooses the latter, but at the same time, I think it’s fairly evident that it cost him a little bit when it comes to his performance of “White Elephant Magic.”  That being said, this IS a MEGAHIT when it all gets cleaned up…he’s got highly memorable hooks, great energy, stunning songwriting, amazing ideas in the music…there is so much going on in favor of this song becoming a massive hit…it just needs a few more run-throughs to reach its full potential, and I give Biala incredible credit for a wildly diverse performance that gets real darn close.  I’m not even kidding when I tell ya that I would listen to this song though…maybe even outside of the holiday season – that’s how strong the potential of “White Elephant Magic” is at the end of the day.  No song is ever finished, only abandoned, as the old saying goes…fingers crossed that Marc keeps at this one and takes it back to the studio again and again until he squeezes all the juice he can outta this tune.

It’s really just a matter of focus, keeping your ears on where it wavers, being honest with yourself about that, and having the courage it takes to get back in the booth for another round whenever it’s required.  Like, I listen to a track like “Snowfall Serenade” for example, and I know that Biala’s still holding back at least 10% of what he can give us.  I am not saying that in a disrespectful way whatsoever – I’m saying it as an encouragement actually…as an outside opinion that is telling him directly, that the more he believes in what he can do, the more he’ll get outta each and every performance he ever puts in.  I think it’s obvious to anyone listening that he’s got a great voice – and I also think that anyone out there would recognize that in the case of a track like “Snowfall Serenade,” he’s drifting a bit back and forth between giving us his best, and just slightly being wide of the mark.  Here’s what I’d tell him, which is exactly the same thing I tell so many folks starting out – you’ve got the same functional ears strapped onto your head as the rest of us do – so don’t let’em fool you.  Your gut will tell you what’s on and what’s off – and if you get that flash of an alarm that something could have been done or sung better, get back in there and DO that.  The main reason being, as an artist, you’re never going to hear the 95% of a song that you got right as the years carry on – it’ll always be the 5% you left on the table that you could have possibly done a little bit better.  A lot of that is natural…we all gotta start somewhere, and of course our earliest work is never going to measure up to what we can do as performers with the advantages of experience and time under our belt…so like I’ve been saying, take it all with a grain of salt – Marc’s already doing an exceptional job when you consider how early it still is into his career – but I know he’s got more than he’s showing us at times.  It’s gonna honestly take some work to have his performances fully rival the outstanding potential of his songwriting…but c’mon y’all, that’s a VERY nice problem to have, ain’t it?  I listen to a track like “Snowfall Serenade” and I KNOW that the more this dude continues to do what he’s doing, the closer he’ll get to crafting and creating a Christmas classic that’ll be played year after year.

“Frenchie, Don’t Eat The Christmas Tree” – c’mon y’all…if this track doesn’t bring at least a bit of a smile to your face, then you’re even more adverse to Christmas tunes than I am!  This is a great example of not taking things too seriously and having some fun with the whole Xmas theme.  As a result, I feel like Marc ended up with yet another authentically unique tune to add to his catalog, and a song that really can’t help but spread that Christmas cheer you want out of holiday-based music like this.  Beyond that, any of us out there that have pets and know what it’s like to try and keep them outta the freakin’ tree…I mean, I think we all completely understand where Biala is coming from when it comes to the lyricism of this song!  “No, not the tinself, leave it be!”  I love that Marc has designed this entire track around the concept of trying to keep his Frenchie outta the Christmas tree – “he’s chomping on the branches, lights in his paws, nibbling the ornaments, breaking the laws!”  It’s the lighthearted scolding that a good dog deserves, and it’s a wonderfully relatable theme to have built a song around.  If you’re a dog lover, you’ll love what you find in “Frenchie, Don’t Eat The Christmas Tree” – and if you happen to actually have a Frenchie as part of your extended family, I’d imagine you’ll love this song even more.  Someone out there one day is going to give Marc the opportunity to write and direct an entire musical, and whoever ends up giving the green light to him first is going to be very happy with how it works out, I guarantee it.

I mean…it could be a musical…it could also be a kid’s show…Marc’s got the kind of personality that could easily make either of those things work really well.  Even in moments like “Tilly The Toymaker” that have a bit more of a downbeat type of vibe to’em, his lyricism remains remarkably vivid, and he’s capable of crafting a compelling story that keeps us completely interested.  I’d be the first to tell ya that the energy of “Tilly The Toymaker” might not have Biala in the right gear to keep many folks fully engaged with how things come out sounding in this low-key track, but this is one of those songs where the emphasis is placed much more on the writing, and the telling of this tale becomes the most significant priority.  There isn’t anything wrong with going that route – in fact, those that appreciate a great story at the heart of what they’re listening to might even end up having “Tilly The Toymaker” being one of their favorites from Snowfall Serenade: A Christmas Celebration for that very reason.  Ultimately, Biala shows us more than a few dimensions of what he can do when it comes to how he writes and performs throughout the course of this record…you’ve got songs like “Elf On The Shelf” or “Frenchie, Don’t Eat The Christmas Tree” that appeal to the kid in all of us, but you’ve also got tracks like “Under The Christmas Moon” and “Tilly The Toymaker” that embrace a vibe more appealing to our mature side as well.  I dig the storytelling aspect of a song like “Tilly The Toymaker” and I still feel like the song and its melody have several hooks that will generate enough interest, but I can also acknowledge that it’s got a slower & sleepier delivery to it that’ll have it battling to get its fair share of the attention in this set-list.

I know, I know, I know – it’s a CHRISTMAS album – just keep things light and give it my full approval like every other critic probably will, right?  Heck no!  Any of you regular readers here know I have only one responsibility, and that’s to stay objective & call things like I hear’em, as objectively & honestly as I can.  It wouldn’t serve Marc’s career ahead for me to be anything less than honest with him – and when the need to address something has come up along the way, you’ve seen me point that stuff out.  In the case of “Holiday Solo” at the end of Snowfall Serenade: A Christmas Celebration, could he have gotten a little more out of it?  Sure!  I’m not here to claim that it’s completely perfect – yet…but you never know, he could easily go on to make it that way.  Clean up the few spots that sound a little flat, and let the many moments where he brings the spark, the energy, and the juice to this track lead him to a complete and total victory.  It’s really all about taking time with it all, being patient, brutally objective, and doing everything you can to dissolve that 5% I was talking about earlier until it doesn’t exist at all.  Because Marc can absolutely do that if he’s feeling so inclined…he’s just gotta know the material he’s working with forwards and backwards until it’s part of his DNA, and he’ll get to where he wants to go with his music.  There are so many great things about “Holiday Solo” at the end of this record that those aspects far outweigh anything you might consider to be detrimental to it, and I felt like he displays yet another dimension of his diverse sound & uniqueness that will continue to be the keys to what sets him apart from the rest of what’s out there.  The hooks of “Holiday Solo” are soothing & peaceful, yet as catchy & memorable as they can be, with a positive message included to give this track another advantage in its effort to reach listening ears.  So don’t get my grinched-up attitude fool ya – I’m highly impressed by what Biala has created throughout this record, and I feel like he’s flashed incredible potential along the way that certainly suggests we haven’t even scratched the surface of what he’ll go on to do over time.  I’m definitely looking forward to finding out what he’s capable of over these next years to follow – he’s an exceptional writer by every definition, a gifted performer with confidence & personality, and he’s got himself a highly listenable Xmas record here that is infused with heart and the holiday spirit throughout.

What’s that you say?  Shouldn’t that conclude both the record AND this lengthy review I’ve been writing here?  Well…yes!  At least, kinda?  What can I say…I got a little curious and ended up checking out the video for a song called “The Messiness Of It All” from Marc’s album, Untamed Austinight, released in November this year.  It was neat to have a listen to what he does outside of the holiday-themed tunes of Snowfall Serenade: A Christmas Celebration – even if I still felt like “The Messiness Of It All” still kind of became metaphorical for a bit of the unevenness he has shown us along the way performance-wise.  Even as I watched the video, with the synchronicity of the song/visuals off by a second or so as we rolled through the first verse, it still brought a smile to my face…Marc’s got limitless potential, he just needs to slow’er down a bit and make sure he’s got everything in line.  As he’ll tell you directly in his short online bio, “The Messiness Of It All” is perceived to be part of the magic – and it CAN be, to an extent – but he also has to balance that with knowing that there are a whole ton of folks out there that people can listen to where the messiness ain’t part of it at all…and that can be tremendously tough to reconcile.  We’ve all got a whole lot of options when it comes to what we choose to listen to, and it’s fairly crucial to put yourself in the best position you can to get the attention of the masses.  Where Marc succeeds wildly, is that his personality & spirit have genuine appeal…we WANT to cheer for a guy that has such noticeable charm & a giant heart…and I have no doubt that the majority of us WILL, regardless of how things come out in the wash.  All I’m suggesting is that he takes a little more time with his material, stays as potently objective as he can, and never shies away from doing something all over again if it’s called for.  The dude’s got a never-ending well of ideas he can draw from, clearly – “The Messiness Of It All” speaks just as strongly to that as the diversity of his set-list of Christmas tunes did on Snowfall Serenade: A Christmas Celebration.  Make no mistake – I’m in this dude’s corner – how could I listen to the incredible hooks of a track like “The Messiness Of It All” and not feel like he’s destined for greatness?  He’s still well on the inside of his first year of releasing his music online professionally…give him some time and some faith in the process – he’s given you every reason to believe in what he can do based on everything he’s done so far; I’m confident that every step he takes forward from here will be another leap for his career.

Find out more about Marc Biala from this magical music multi-link:  https://linktr.ee/loyminglee

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