Annie Lennox in Blue

I've just finished listening to Annie Lennox's new Christmas Album, A Christmas Cornucopia. It is marvelous! Annie has drawn upon her rock and New Wave roots and included lush Moroccan, Arabic and Celtic orchestrations to create this new collection of carols. Annie dubs her voice three, four, sometimes eight times over to achieve an angel choir of Annie Lennoxes. But these angels are not your typical heavenly choir. Her take on these carols is ballsy, boastful, and filled with big harmonies. Another thing I love about the songs on this album is that Annie articulates every word. I've heard most of these carols a hundred times, but her clarity of speech affords the listener a new look into the story behind the carol. There is also a new song, written by Annie, at the end of the album called "Universal Child". I was driving in my car when I heard this song for the first time and I just balled my eyes out (it might be the post partum hormones). "Universal Child" seemed to speak directly to my feelings for my son, Charlie, and the situation we find ourselves in with his health issues. Its a gorgeous song about love, divinity and what it means to care for a child. Also, I love her album cover. The blue background inspired me to pull out these dark and dreamy interior photos I had tucked away in my inspiration file.