Matti P The Canadian singer SUSIE ARIOLI (b. 1963) is a new acquaintance for me, and, as usual, unreviewed here. I chose this holiday album to write about, without trying to widen the perspective towards her whole recording career that started in 2000.

Arioli's take on Christmas music is unconventionally down-to-earth and intimate, in fact often pretty rootsy and bluesy. She's accompanied by guitars, mandolin, bass and snare drum. No keyboards in sight. The acoustically oriented soundscape is relaxed, serene and fresh, not sentimental or sugary.

The track list also avoids the clichéd path, the usual dominance of well known Christmas songs. Especially on her early albums Arioli seems to have an orientation towards the Great American Songbook. So it's inevitable that there are some holiday standards such as 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' and'Winter Wonderland', and I presume also the majority of the songs I'm not so familiar with have been composed several decades ago. The simple and sincere bluesy approach nevertheless further helps that one won't have an ovedose of Christmas sweetness or the heavily overplayed tunes when listening to this highly personal holiday album featuring some happy surprise choices.

Arioli's version of the Disney classic 'When You Wish Upon a Star' is really charming in its slow and lazy intimacy. She has a little bit of JULIE LONDON in her vocal delivery. 'La Peregrinacíon' is a wonderful rare choice, originating from "Misa Criolla" by Ariel Ramirez. Arioli's Spanish is faultless. The 12-song set ends with a pretty Latin-language take on Schubert's 'Ave Maria' with a ripped-down guitar backing. I've got a funny association of the Angelo Badalamenti/ Julee Cruise/ David Lynch partnership.

Three sympathetic stars deserved.