Album Review of
The Perfect Gift

Label: Dark Shadow

Genres: Holiday, Bluegrass

Styles: Christmas, Contemporary Bluegrass


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Written by Joe Ross
December 5, 2022 - 11:38am EST
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Becky Buller’s first full-length Christmas album features an enchanting and entertaining repertoire of pop holiday songs, fresh takes on traditional carols, and originals from the award-winning songwriter, singer and fiddler. Buller also takes the project to stellar heights with an all-star cast including The Fairfield Four, Vince Gill, Rhonda Vincent, Sharon White, Tim O’Brien, Sierra Hull, Dan Tyminski, Ricky Skaggs, Ron Block, Becky Buller Band and others.

The Perfect Gift has a little something for a diversity of musical tastes. Buller channels lively old-timey spirit by adding in her clawhammer banjo to the mix on “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel,” and she evocatively sings “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” as a plaintive vocal duet with Vince Gill, accompanied only by her guitar and Ricky Skagg’s mandolin. Sung a cappella with The Fairfield Four, “Mary Rocked Her Baby” is first pew, reverently assuming a devout tone on a real soul-stirrer. In 3/4-time, Buller’s original co-penned with Lisa Aschmann, “Our Gingerbread House” makes us feel all so “mistletoe-sy.”

Radio-friendly holiday bluegrass fare like “Last Christmas” is a remake of George Michael’s 1984 hit for the British pop duo, Wham!  Lead singer and fiddler Buller’s grassed-up version features Dan Tyminski (guitar), Ron Block (banjo), Sierra Hull (mandolin, harmony vocal), Todd Livingston (resophonic guitar), Barry Bales (bass), and Stephen Mougin (harmony vocal). Two other unique tracks on this album include “A Marshmallow World” and “Merry Macaroni Art” that were arranged with colorings of electric guitar, percussion, Rhonda Vincent’s vocals on the former, and Becky’s daughter Romy Haley on the latter. All in all, this album is a delectable yuletide treat. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)