Rino Millares - The New Christmas
Pop, Rock, World, Folk
California, United States
Overall Impression: Boasting a great amount of melody and a meaningful message at its heart, "The New Christmas" is a track that injects the Christmas song as we know it today with a hearty shot of realism and truth. Rino Millares has written a track that poignantly comments on the gradual loss of traditional Christmas values that is occurring. As Rino details in his lyrics, the idea of Christmas has very much devolved into a holiday mentality that is continually moving away from its original meaning, and its great to hear a songwriter that is approaching the idea of a Christmas song from a different, yet significant, angle. Along with its strong lyrical themes, "The New Christmas" is both well performed and arranged, and is filled to the brim with Rino's superb sense of melody.
Strongest Point(s): There is a great emphasis on melody in "The New Christmas", and it's clear that Rino is both a talented guitarist and arranger. The guitar work is excellent and the lead work, in particular, is both very well crafted and brimming with great melodic detail. There is a nice touch of neo-soul in the guitar work that infuses the track with some interesting layers and the uptempo nature of the track helps to keep energy levels continually high which works very well for this style of song. Particular merit needs to also be directed at the production, this is a bright and lively feeling mix that is overall both well balanced and very detailed. There are a few areas of the mix that could maybe be tweaked which we'll cover in the next section, but the clarity and production quality are of a very high standard indeed.
Target Audience Appeal: "The New Christmas" is a strong pop-rocker with a few interesting twists and turns here and there that hint at other genres, audiences who like their music with plenty of melody and deep lyrical themes will appreciate what "The New Christmas" has to offer.
Artist target suggestions: Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac, Eraserheads, Callalily, Rivermaya, Sandwich, Greta Van Fleet, Stereophonics, The Goo Goo Dolls, Biffy Clyro
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About the Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.