Wielding her violin like a huntress' bow, Lindsey Stirling focuses her classical crossover vision with a deeply imaginative concept for her fifth album, Artemis. Named after the Greek goddess of the hunt and the moon, the effort finds Stirling hitting her artistic stride with a grand soundtrack to a movie that doesn't yet exist, like a neon cyberpunk take on Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings score. Making her early work feel small-scale by comparison -- early-2010s tracks like "Song of the Caged Bird," "Beyond the Veil," and "Heist" come closest to what she's offering here -- Artemis also benefits from fewer special guests, which was a distraction on her previous full-length, Brave Enough. Here, Stirling's animated string wizardry shines and her ethereal vocals do a fine job without too much outside involvement. Not to say special guests Amy Lee ("Love Goes On and On") and Elle King ("The Upside" reprise) aren't welcome here; their contributions are just strategic buffers on an album full of highlights, standout cameos in this world Stirling completely owns. Summoning the mystical spirits of old while channeling future dystopian concepts in a heady narrative centered on persevering through the darkness to reclaim our inner spark, Artemis relies on the tension between light and dark, upsides and downsides, and the past and future to tell a heroic story with full cinematic scope. The grand opening of "Underground," which sounds like Stirling's take on an early-2000s J-pop song, is immediately followed by the sweeping title track, a dramatic swell of shiver-inducing energy that is lifted to the heavens upon her vocals. The rest of Artemis proceeds in a similar fashion, from the rousing "Til the Light Goes Out" and propulsive "Darkside" to the magical "Between Twilight" and angelic "Foreverglow." By the time the fictional credits roll with King's uplifting take on "The Upside," listeners might be begging for a fully realized visual accompaniment to this evocative wonder. With less folksy fiddling or outdated EDM to bog it down, Artemis signals an evolution for the artist, revealing itself to be Stirling's strongest work to date and a pure thrill for fans of her particular hybrid style.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

On her second holiday-themed full-length, pop violinist Lindsey Stirling puts her contemporary spin on a handful of classics bundled alongside some originals on Snow Waltz. Following 2018's Warmer in the Winter, this appropriately festive set features Stirling's trademark crossover sound, an upbeat blend of hip-hop beats, pop production, and folksy violin. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Feliz Navidad" are energized with galloping percussion, handclaps, and jaunty piano backing. Centerpiece "Joy to the World" is a swashbuckling highlight that thrills more than the original ever could, while "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is infused with urgent drama and a brief dubstep break. Fans will delight at these versions, as Stirling doesn't stray too far from her typical style. Additionally, she recruited a handful of guests to provide vocals, including Bonnie McKee ("Crazy for Christmas"), Frawley (the peppy "Christmas Time with You"), and David Archuleta (the aptly titled soul stirrer "Magic"). Snow Waltz is a warm cup of cocoa (with a little something extra splashed in) that pleases the soul and primes listeners for the holidays.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

That it took elfin violinist, dancer, and performance artist Lindsey Stirling five albums to deliver a proper holiday offering is surprising, as her particular brand of (mostly) instrumental millennial pop is perfectly suited to heat up the year's coldest months in style. After all, this is an artist who skyrocketed to fame with a musical theater-worthy rendering of the main theme from the Nordic fantasy video game Skyrim. The aptly named Warmer in Winter prances about with equal parts benevolence and solipsism, effectively pairing the season's most beloved and familiar melodies with the gamer-approved blips, beeps, and slick techno beat drops that have become her forte since dropping her eponymous debut in 2013. Enlisting vocal help from former Disney star Sabrina Carpenter ("You're a Mean One Mister Grinch"), fellow internet phenom Becky G. ("Christmas C'mon"), All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth ("Time to Fall in Love"), and even in-demand New Orleans polymath Trombone Shorty ("Warmer in Winter"), Stirling has crafted a fun and flighty brew of modern holiday cheer that is most certainly of its time.© James Christopher Monger /TiVo

That it took elfin violinist, dancer, and performance artist Lindsey Stirling five albums to deliver a proper holiday offering is surprising, as her particular brand of (mostly) instrumental millennial pop is perfectly suited to heat up the year's coldest months in style. After all, this is an artist who skyrocketed to fame with a musical theater-worthy rendering of the main theme from the Nordic fantasy video game Skyrim. The aptly named Warmer in Winter prances about with equal parts benevolence and solipsism, effectively pairing the season's most beloved and familiar melodies with the gamer-approved blips, beeps, and slick techno beat drops that have become her forte since dropping her eponymous debut in 2013. Enlisting vocal help from former Disney star Sabrina Carpenter ("You're a Mean One Mister Grinch"), fellow internet phenom Becky G. ("Christmas C'mon"), All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth ("Time to Fall in Love"), and even in-demand New Orleans polymath Trombone Shorty ("Warmer in Winter"), Stirling has crafted a fun and flighty brew of modern holiday cheer that is most certainly of its time.© James Christopher Monger /TiVo

That it took elfin violinist, dancer, and performance artist Lindsey Stirling five albums to deliver a proper holiday offering is surprising, as her particular brand of (mostly) instrumental millennial pop is perfectly suited to heat up the year's coldest months in style. After all, this is an artist who skyrocketed to fame with a musical theater-worthy rendering of the main theme from the Nordic fantasy video game Skyrim. The aptly named Warmer in Winter prances about with equal parts benevolence and solipsism, effectively pairing the season's most beloved and familiar melodies with the gamer-approved blips, beeps, and slick techno beat drops that have become her forte since dropping her eponymous debut in 2013. Enlisting vocal help from former Disney star Sabrina Carpenter ("You're a Mean One Mister Grinch"), fellow internet phenom Becky G. ("Christmas C'mon"), All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth ("Time to Fall in Love"), and even in-demand New Orleans polymath Trombone Shorty ("Warmer in Winter"), Stirling has crafted a fun and flighty brew of modern holiday cheer that is most certainly of its time.© James Christopher Monger /TiVo

That it took elfin violinist, dancer, and performance artist Lindsey Stirling five albums to deliver a proper holiday offering is surprising, as her particular brand of (mostly) instrumental millennial pop is perfectly suited to heat up the year's coldest months in style. After all, this is an artist who skyrocketed to fame with a musical theater-worthy rendering of the main theme from the Nordic fantasy video game Skyrim. The aptly named Warmer in Winter prances about with equal parts benevolence and solipsism, effectively pairing the season's most beloved and familiar melodies with the gamer-approved blips, beeps, and slick techno beat drops that have become her forte since dropping her eponymous debut in 2013. Enlisting vocal help from former Disney star Sabrina Carpenter ("You're a Mean One Mister Grinch"), fellow internet phenom Becky G. ("Christmas C'mon"), All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth ("Time to Fall in Love"), and even in-demand New Orleans polymath Trombone Shorty ("Warmer in Winter"), Stirling has crafted a fun and flighty brew of modern holiday cheer that is most certainly of its time.© James Christopher Monger /TiVo

On her second holiday-themed full-length, pop violinist Lindsey Stirling puts her contemporary spin on a handful of classics bundled alongside some originals on Snow Waltz. Following 2018's Warmer in the Winter, this appropriately festive set features Stirling's trademark crossover sound, an upbeat blend of hip-hop beats, pop production, and folksy violin. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Feliz Navidad" are energized with galloping percussion, handclaps, and jaunty piano backing. Centerpiece "Joy to the World" is a swashbuckling highlight that thrills more than the original ever could, while "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is infused with urgent drama and a brief dubstep break. Fans will delight at these versions, as Stirling doesn't stray too far from her typical style. Additionally, she recruited a handful of guests to provide vocals, including Bonnie McKee ("Crazy for Christmas"), Frawley (the peppy "Christmas Time with You"), and David Archuleta (the aptly titled soul stirrer "Magic"). Snow Waltz is a warm cup of cocoa (with a little something extra splashed in) that pleases the soul and primes listeners for the holidays.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

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