Releasing a Christmas album always comes with some risk. Will it be perceived as a work of festive beauty, or a half-hearted attempt at ‘cashing-in’ on the most lucrative season of the year? Such questions seem to have concerned Marisha Wallace, the current star of Dreamgirls on the West End who has just released her debut album, Soul Holiday. In her interview with Broadway World, Wallace explained that her mission was to make a Christmas album but also a ‘real album’ with ‘real music’.

Safe to say, Soul Holiday is a case of mission accomplished. With the help of an elite group of musicians – who have performed with the likes of Gregory Porter, Annie Lennox, Amy Winehouse, and George Michael – the album has a purity and richness in a climate where autotune and synthetic bombast dominates. The sound is entirely organic with a mix of jazz-guitar and piano-driven arrangements.

Wallace’s vocals are truly exquisite. Those expecting the power and grit of her devastatingly good performance of ‘And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going’ will be surprised. Wallace barely opts for her gritty belt and instead showcases the softer and jazzy colours of her voice. What becomes clear from the first track is her masterful command of dynamics and her astute melodic choices.

The album begins with Wallace’s take on Bing Crosby’s ‘Do You Hear What I Hear’. Wallace and her band transform this meek Christmas ballad into a stirring jazz-blues number. Wallace rides the song’s groovy bass with a vocal full of charisma and personality. She flicks into her smoky head voice, slides up and down the notes with ease, and slips in her growl all with meticulous precision. She also remoulds ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ into a smooth R&B jam, rich in melancholy with creamy backing vocals, and unleashes her melismatic prowess on ‘Joyful Joyful’.

The piano-driven covers of ‘The Christmas Song’ and ‘Have Yourself A Merry Christmas’ have an intimacy with all the hitches, breaks, and breaths in Wallace’s vocal exposed. While Wallace could be criticised for predictable song choices, it is her delivery alone which makes the covers worthwhile – as was also the case with Fantasia’s Christmas After Midnight.

The album closes with a stunning re-interpretation of ‘I Am Changing’ from Dreamgirls. Wallace changes this gutsy showtune into an Eva Cassidy-esque ballad, her bouncy phrasing paired with slinky jazz guitar. While the song in its musical context is performed as a bold, triumphant assertion, this re-arrangement alters the mood of the song. It feels more pensive and subtle, with a quiet confidence.

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Soul Holiday marks a sparkling debut for Miss Wallace. We can only hope that original material is on the horizon.

Grade: A

(Image Copyright: Marisha Wallace)