Whenever we start getting close to Christmas, we are hit with a seasonal tide of music of a particular nature: Songs inspired by or celebrating the coming Christmas holiday in one form or another. Some make original music, others opt to record new versions of the classic Christmas songs, the most popular have been recorded literally thousands of times over the years. US band DARK BEAUTY have opted to create new and original music though, in a song that I think celebrate the spirit of Christmas more than Christmas itself, at least from what I could catch from the lyrics.
Many songs of this kind are atmospheric laden affairs, and Toby’s Wish is another addition to that category of holiday songs. Vocalist Liz Tapia carries the song beautifully with her distinct powerful yet controlled emotionally laden voice, with an ongoing piano motif as the main support instrument from what I can hear, at least in terms of providing a base melody to the proceedings. Soft but rich orchestration adds a melancholic smooth coating, while flute, acoustic and electric guitars adds further details, careful solo runs and fragile fluttering details to the proceedings. The end result is a creation that merits a description as elegant, the vocals catering for the more haunting and emotional impact of the song, and the story told is one appropriate for the Christmas season as well.
At some future point in time it would have been interesting if this song could have been recorded in a more sparse arrangement too, especially if the piano motif had been expanded a bit, and the use of additional instruments had been given a lesser role in the non-vocal passages only. There are songs that are just as good and at times even better when explored in a more sparse arrangement, and to my ears at least this is a song that has the potential to be even more striking in such a context.
This is a good song as it is though, and while not one I’d say have the potential to be an instant classic for the Christmas season it is a song that should find favor among those with a taste for symphonic-tinged ballads in general and ones dominated and carried by strong female lead vocals in particular.
My rating: 80/100
