December 19th, 2013 
Brian Leak 
Artist: Ximena Borges
Album: Joyful Noise
Genre: A capella, Holiday
I’ve never been the biggest fan of holiday-themed music, yet no matter how much I try to avoid it, all the classics get stuck in my head around this time every single year. When I was very young, my family would always put on Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra’s Christmas albums, and as a kid I actually really enjoyed it, but now going into my 27th year, I’ve grown progressively tired of hearing the same old renditions that I’ve been hearing my entire life.
So needless to say, when I was introduced to Ximena Borges’ new album, Joyful Noise, I was skeptical going in based on the album’s title — that is until I read the brief description; “One Voice. One Body. No instruments. Five languages. Totally unique holiday album.” That annotation really couldn’t be more spot on.
Opening with “Crunchy Drummer Boy,” you immediately get the sense of uniqueness that the aforementioned description had mentioned. Ximena’s vocal layers aplenty set the stage for what we’re to experience throughout Joyful Noise. Harmonies, percussion, singing, etc. — it’s all done with her voice…and it works. For anyone that watches/enjoys Glee, they’ll likely recognize a similarity to the show’s brief a capella scene transitions as “Crunchy Drummer Boy” would initially lead you to believe that many different voices were involved.
Beyond the almost beatboxing-like backing bits, Ximena’s ability to seamlessly transition from one language to another on the fly may take a second or two to even realize, especially if you’re not a seasoned polyglot. The use of five separate languages throughout only adds to the refreshing takes on these classic compositions and Borges’ obvious vocal training further helps in making these modern renditions have a beautiful, timeless feel despite their updated personalities.
If your family is the type to have holiday music constantly playing in the background as you all gather excitedly to discuss how your year went away from home, I would highly suggest adding Joyful Noise to your rotation this season, or any to follow. The vocal arrangements throughout are fresh enough to catch your attention with a new flair while Borges’ classic vocal approach will be sure to please any that prefer the old renditions from earlier eras.
SCORE: 8/10
Review written by: Brian Lion — (Follow him on Twitter)
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