He enjoys worldwide popularity through his signature "Solo Piano" series, his ingeniously conceived stage performances, his Grammy-winning collaboration with Daft Punk, and his music for iPad TV commercials, and last year the documentary film "Shut Up and Play the Piano," which digs into his outrageous yet moving appeal, was much talked about. Now, from Gonzales — who always brings us surprise and happiness — comes the Christmas album "A very chilly christmas"! The album features classic Christmas songs everyone knows, such as "Silent Night," "Silver Bells," and "Jingle Bells," alongside pop selections like Wham!'s "Last Christmas" and Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You."
The simple, piano-centered arrangements and the minor-key performances that cherish delicate nuance follow in the lineage of the three "Solo Piano" albums he has released so far.
The album is mostly instrumental but includes three vocal tracks, with guest appearances by two singers Gonzales trusts: Feist and Jarvis Cocker. Among them, "The Banister Bough," sung by Feist, is the album's only brand-new original. Gonzales' gift as a melody maker shines in its refined, beautiful melody, and Feist's warmth-filled voice is exquisite — a fine song that seems destined to become a new Christmas classic. Jarvis Cocker handles vocals on two tracks, "In the Bleak Midwinter" and "Snow Is Falling In Manhattan," delivering a dandyish vocal; on the cover of "Snow Is Falling In Manhattan" — originally released under the name Purple Mountains by David Berman, the solitary US indie singer-songwriter who passed away in 2019 — Feist joins on backing vocals as well. With cello and flute added, the arrangement is richly poetic and moving, like a scene from a film. With his planned tour canceled due to COVID, Gonzales holed up at home and created this record. Bringing a fleeting moment of peace at the end of a year that was hard on everyone, this album feels like a heartfelt Christmas present from Gonzales. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)