Christmes Time is Here Music & Lyrics: Selma Mariudottir Singer: Josiah Ruff Orchestral Pieces: Paulo Almaden Piano and Cello Solo: Tom Davidson From Brett Stewart's Review: In the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to review the music of Selma Mariudottir, an exceptional composer who has been releasing some incredibly compelling music. To close out her year, Mariudottir has graced us with ‘Christmas Time Is Here,’ a new holiday themed tune that she has spent immense time arranging. Much like her previous outings, the performances are a combination of session musicians spread out across the globe. Let’s delve into her new track: ‘Christmas Time Is Here’ draws your attention right of the gate. In her third release this year, Mariudottir has elected to utilize a more traditional holiday array of musicians, opting for orchestration rather than your typical band instruments. The impact is absolutely stunning. Paulo Almaden, the musician behind the orchestral pieces, has done a masterful job on this song. The creative decision to utilize this musical style has served Mariudottir well. The cello solo, performed by Tom Davidson is splendid, too. Davidson’s spotlight in the song shines strongly upon his ability as a musician as it evokes such passion from the instrument. Singer Josiah Ruff provides exquisite vocals, mixed perfectly into the track as overdubs wash over one another creating a waterfall of vocals that Phil Spector would be proud of. It’s a holiday ‘wall of sound.’ (Oddly enough, Phil Spector also produced exceptional Christmas music!) It’s a great song; it’s well organized, beautifully performed, and an incredible exit to the year for Mariudottir. I’ve come to expect quality from her music and continuously look forward to what she is going to send me next. I hope to look at more of her music in the new year, and I’m still an advocate of her collecting a dozen of these songs and putting them under the umbrella of one amazing album. Selma Mariudottir has a bright new year ahead!