tek's rating:

Aliqua: All I Want
AllMusic; Amazon; Discogs; iTunes

This was first released, I believe, in 2009. I don't recall when I first heard of it, but I'm listening to it for the first time in 2021. Aliqua is a Canadian choral group, and the whole album sounds rather ethereal (and high-pitched; maybe it's not the greatest idea to be listening to this with earbuds). It's almost a cappella.

Most of it is in in English, but there's a Spanish song I don't believe I'd ever heard of, "A la Nanita Nana", which I liked. And there's a German version of "Silent Night" called "Stille Nacht", which is an interesting change from the English versions with which I'm familiar (though there is some English mixed in). And I think there's some non-English mixed into some of the other songs, but it's hard for me to make out. Actually, I should say only about half the songs on the album were familiar to me, and I probably won't find the ones I didn't know very memorable. But I do like all the songs on the album (some more than others). "Carol of the Bells" and "O Holy Night" are a couple of songs I think their style is well suited for. (Though I wouldn't say there are any songs here that their style isn't suited for.) "Winter Wonderland" sounds like it's being played on the radio in maybe the 1940s or something, which is interesting. The 14th and final track isn't listed on the CD, but iTunes says it's called "Sugafunscary". It sounds like a strange (but neat) version of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy", which is done somewhat more traditionally earlier on the album. But this last song keeps changing styles.

I haven't mentioned every song, but that's all I feel the need to say. The music is certainly pretty, if you like this kind of thing. And I guess I do.


Christmas music index