Brad Paisley – “Winter Wonderland”

Songwriters: Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith.

His status as reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year notwithstanding, Brad Paisley has never been an especially remarkable singer. His real expertise lies in trading on his regular-guy charm, choosing (and penning) simple love songs and clever sing-alongs that benefit from his wry treatment without demanding too much of him in terms of vocal gymnastics or emotional commitment.

Oh, and he also plays the guitar.

While Paisley’s self-consciously clever shtick has perhaps worn a bit thin in recent years, “Winter Wonderland” (the lead track from his 2006 Christmas release) serves as a reminder of how effective he can be when he reins in that jocular impulse and gets out of his own way for a few minutes. Sure, there are still flashes of his trademark wit-throwing in a bit about “Jim Ed Brown” and singing “Pop a Top” with Mr. Snowman, but on the whole this track has him playing it straight and simple.

It also has him backing away from his increasingly muscular, guitar-heavy sound. Paisley’s unembellished vocal delivery is punctuated by a few obligatory guitar riffs (appropriately jaunty, for what it’s worth), but producer Frank Rogers also makes room for effective steel, fiddle, and keyboard solos that nicely balance out the sound of what otherwise might have turned into just another Telecaster showcase.

In that respect, Rogers deserves a lot of credit for the success of the whole affair. While “Winter Wonderland” is every bit as polished as you’d expect of a major label release, it’s also a good deal simpler than most. In the comparatively stripped-down environment created by his producer, Paisley’s fundamental musicality (obscured by the densely-layered sound of songs like “Ticks” and “Start a Band”) has room to emerge. You probably wouldn’t call the result organic, but you might notice that it’s a bit more tuneful than some of the singer’s other recent work.

Naysayers will point out–and perhaps rightly so–that this is a rather colorless performance: it gets the job done without attempting anything very special. But who wants their Christmas music full of color? This is the time of year for familiar reds and greens, not self-involved shades of daring and innovation.

Here, Paisley is in his sweet spot, delivering a catchy Christmas ditty in a straight-ahead style that serves the song without dramatically reconfiguring it. His take on this old Christmas classic is reverent without being stale, fresh without being gimmicky, and enough fun that you’ll want to listen again.