Invoking the communal warmness of Christmas, Winter Gala is a beautiful new album from Anita Eccleston, a Vancouver-based trumpet player and vocalist. Trumpet is the predominant voice throughout this largely ambient album, with twinkling keys, wordless vocal backings, and graceful song progressions stirring throughout.
“Good King” begins the album with cozy appeal; twinkling sleigh bells, mellow piano, and charming brass infuse with a seasonal delectability. Snappy bass and haunting wordless vocals arrive into a brass-led sequence for a particularly inviting section. “Ding Dong” furthers those lounge-set holiday vibes, incorporating a twangy quaintness alongside the familiar brass; visions of a warming, open fire are abundant here and throughout the release. While these two efforts show some immediacy and briskness, “Noel” stands out with a more delicate unveiling — resembling a late-night foray into the snow with its lonesome brass and spacious rhythms.
Comprising 19 tracks, and many of them under two minutes, Winter Gala makes for the perfect late winter-night soundtrack. “Magi” is fantastic in its usage of wordless vocals and pit-pattering percussive momentum, compelling in its lush soundscape. Elsewhere, “Jingle” is another display in free-flowing brass immersion, while “Shchedryk” invokes a suave jazzy intrigue with crawling bass and old-time orchestral glimpses, amidst the serene keys and Christmas-time adornments. Winter Gala is a welcoming holiday treat from Anita Eccleston.
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“Shchedryk” is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Obscure Ambient. Stream the playlist below:
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
