Then it’s on to Tell Me A Storywith Lil’ Romeo who very kindly introduces himself at the start of the song before asking Hilary what she wants. This is a nice gentle meander through this song, with Hilary rarely straying from a safe path as the backing vocalists do a great job. Some sleigh bells and chime bars drop in regularly to help the song rush along, and all in all, it’s a nice little catchy track, even if you can’t quite connect with a white teenage girl who lives in Hollywood.Ī piano keyboard leads into the familiar sound of the classic Sleigh Ride. Again, the guitars roar, but there’s a whiff of style from 1960’s Slade here amongst Hilary’s candyfloss vocals. Then it’s time for When The Snow Comes To Tinseltown opening with Hilary talking about how she lives in Hollywood whilst writing on what sounds like a blackboard. This is fairly loyal to the usual cover versions of this foot-tapper, and this version would feel right at home on a Christmas compilation album. Jingle Bell Rock is next, and finally we have what feels like a proper Christmas song.
Again, it’s highly early-00’s pop in sound, but the nice little light sleigh bells and ‘hey hey hey, ho, ho, ho’ gives the song a nice feel. The vocal harmonies are really nice here, with Hilary and Christina working off of each other really well. The tempo is lowered, and the sound is softer here in I Heard Santa On The Radio – a duet with Christina Milan. Instead, there’s a roaring guitar solo (it’s very good, but it really could be in any song), giving the whole track a rock sound. However, this version lacks the oompf that you’ll find in many versions ( Michael Bolton’s being a belter), perhaps the bass and a lack of brass really makes it sound like a cheap supermarket aisle cover. The song was the album’s lead single and rightly didn’t touch the UK charts.Ī cover of the classic Santa Claus Is Coming To Town is next, and it starts off quite light with some synthetic handclaps, and some bursts of guitar. The chorus picks things up though, but Hilary’s vocals feel a bit restrained here until a brief glimmer as we enter the final third of the track. That leads on to the titular Santa Claus Lane, and the narrative monotone lyrics in the verse instantly reminds me of Rebecca Black’s surprise hit Friday. It’s quite stylised to early 00’s teen pop and would be interesting to hear a more Christmassy styled slower version. This 2003 re-issue 11 track CD opens with synths, rock guitars, and tinkling chimes of What Christmas Should Be, with Hilary dropping in like a candy-fuelled Avril Lavingne over some heavy drums and guitars.
Will this album make all your Christmases be bright, or will it be a bit icy? Read on… Hilary Duff – Santa Claus Lane (2003) album Today’s POP RESCUE from a festive fate unknown, is the 2003 debut album Santa Claus Lane by American actress, singer, and songwriter, Hilary Duff.
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