Getmusicofficial wrote on 14/11/2011 4:42 PM (GMT+11:00) Report

In just a few years, Justin Bieber has grown both from an anonymous teen into a global celebrity, and from a boy into a young man. His first Christmas album ‘Under the Mistletoe’, then, serves to make this steep transition a little easier, and to continue his international chart domination through the purveying of frequently enjoyable Christmas fodder. Justin’s voice has now taken on a slightly husky, far more mature timbre; even the most passionate of his detractors will surely concede that his voice is easier on the ears than previously. Bieber mixes such original tracks with ever-reliable Christmas staples; ‘Silent Night’, ‘The Christmas Song’ and ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ (complete with a joyous feature by Mariah, and with some variation to the well-worn melodies to cater to Justin’s altered range) all feature. The highlight of these inclusions, however, is a heavily modernised version of the traditional ‘Drummer Boy’, which features both rapper Busta Rhymes and a couple of rap verses from Bieber himself. This rendition begins in the usual mid-tempo manner, before accelerating into a pseudo-raver that retains the festive character of the original but also brings a surprising degree of swagger to the table. Aside from the aforementioned collaborations, the set is laden with star-studded cameos: Boyz II Men, The Band Perry, and of course Usher (Justin’s long-time mentor) also makes an appearance. The album’s original tracks (including first single and standout ‘Mistletoe’) revolve around a curious but largely successful combination of acoustic guitar lines and R&B beats and harmonies. Of course, there are plenty of gratuitous sleigh-bells; the obligatory marker of a Christmas tune. Lyrically, these tracks deal with both traditional festive imagery (snow, Christmas trees, mistletoe...you get the idea) and the blossoming of winter romance. The album does venture into slightly cheesy territory at times, but at the end of the day this is a festive record, meaning a degree of cheesiness is a given – even a welcome necessity! Reviewed by: John Rowley