Richard Lynch Delivers A New Christmas Classic In “Christmas Time”

It’s my favorite time of year again, time for our annual selection of great Christmas songs to be released and enjoyed. My first installment this season is the magnificent Richard Lynch with his offering “Christmas Time.” Now I have stated this time and again, Richard Lynch has delivered my choice of Country Music Album of the year with his wonderful collection of gems on “My Guitar Drips Country,” so how will a Christmas song live up to this amount of anticipation and expectations? “Christmas Time” opens with a soothing piano melody that instantly captures the theme of Christmas, revolving around those major chord shapes, I am instantly put into a brighter, happier mood. Then, “Christmas time” goes full Country, as Richard Lynch does best. The open chord strumming on the acoustic guitar coupled with the electric Nashville picking patterns which shape these Country chords, “Christmas Time” is appealing to Country fans, and to holiday lovers looking to capture the moment of the season. “Maybe I’m getting older, and sentimental as time goes by, but when the weather starts getting colder, and I start to see those Christmas lights, oh I’m a kid again.” Here Richard utilizes his dynamic vocals to shape a narrative, he has set the scene yet, he can cast bright and vivid imagery of those precious moments we remember from the Christmases past. Following up on his latest release Grandpappy, Richard lynch also pays homage to this iconic figure in his life, with “And Grandpa put the log on the fire”.

“Christmas Time” has obvious Country / Pop styling’s which are clearly targeted at a vast audience. This track would do very well on any of the Pop, Country, Adult Contemporary, Middle-of-the-Road radio formats with its wonderful vocals, crisp, clean guitar sounds, and calming, uplifting melodies. This track is expertly mixed with all the subtle nuances of the guitar and piano sounds ringing out clear and true. These overtones help add to the overall theme of the song, while the strict adherence to the Country genre and styling allows Richard Lynch to take a few liberties and express himself in a more pop-influenced way, targeting that larger holiday audience. Personally, as a fan of all the new wonderful holiday music to be released this time of year, I really love this track. Coming from an artist like Richard Lynch helps solidify my respect and appreciation for this artist. “Christmas Time” is a must for any music lover holiday playlist. I expect this song will be heard for years to come as this season approaches.

–Lee Callaghan