Joseph G Vincent's Music of Christmas is one of the more unique albums I've heard in that nearly everything on it is done with a hammered dulcimer. Off the top of my head, I don't think I can name a single song that uses a hammered dulcimer (although when I consulted Wikipedia to find out what a hammered dulcimer is, I discovered that Neil Peart is listed as a player of the instrument, so I've almost certainly heard it before), so it's certainly refreshing to hear normally familiar songs in a completely different way.
And that's really the main draw of this album - you've probably heard all of the songs before, but not with this kind of sound. The songs are all stripped down to their most basic melodies, but there is a certain elegance in the way that they are played that makes them sound strikingly beautiful. I'm obviously not an expert on hammered dulcimer playing, but I really love the way that it sounds on this album - I get the feeling that it is not the easiest instrument in the world to play, and that each note is played with a great deal of care. And really, that's about all I can say here - the sound is so unique that I don't know how to describe it any further. If hearing old favourites done in new and interesting ways appeals to you, then this is an album you have to hear. Happy listening!
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