Just in time for the holiday season, for KING + COUNTRY have gifted fans with an electrifying new take on the Christmas classic “Little Drummer Boy.” This timeless song has been a standout part of the Grammy winning brother duo Joel and Luke Smallbone’s exhilarating live shows for years now. They’ve finally bottled that magic, and released their first single from their highly anticipated album ‘A Drummer Boy Christmas (LIVE)’ to share with the rest of the world.
Yes, it is not your standard staid, reverent rendition of “Little Drummer Boy,” from the first bombastic drum roll. The Smallbones place the song through an alternate lens of their own explosive alt-rock/pop sound to completely reimagine and super charge. Reborn here as a towering, anthemic showstopper brimming with cinematic majesty, what was once a quaint, pastoral folk tune is reborn as a powerfully impassioned lead vocal over the driving, percussive-heavy instrumention that builds to a grand, unapologetic crescendo of pure majesty. Easy to picture stadiums full of fans going nuts in a fist pumping frenzy simply from the sheer euphoric force of the performance. The brothers keep the intimacy and vulnerability that lay at the root of the original, investing the majesty of the bombast on an equal plane with the tender intimate moments.
It’s a masterclass in injecting new life into an old classic, rejuvenating them for a new generation while still feeling the spirit of their original self. Powerhouse vocals, ecstatic energy, and impeccable production marry contemporary musicality to age old traditions. Gently subdued beginnings and gloriously unrestrained crescendos were the Smallbones’ hallmark for “Little Drummer Boy,” here with supreme confidence and passion.For longtime fans, this version is a goosebump-inducing souvenir as to why for KING + COUNTRY’s Christmas shows have become sacred annual events. It’s a thrilling window into just how newbies can shuck preconceptions and give even the most familiar songs a ridiculously fresh and vibrant spin.
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