LET IT ROCK! LET IT ROCK! LET IT ROLL!
A SPILL MAGAZINE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE TOP 2021 CHRISTMAS RELEASES – THE ALBUMS
Paul Kelly
Paul Kellyβs Christmas Train
Cooking Vinyl
November 19, 2021
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I am a long-time fan of Paul Kelly. He is a brilliant artist who has written and recorded a massive amount of truly brilliant albums. Here he finally turns his attention to Christmas, and Paul Kellyβs Christmas Train lives up to expectations. He has a great deal of help here to creatively interpret classic Christmas music, which includes Hawaiian guitar and ukuleles of βSilent Night,β with a verse in the original German sung by Alice Keath, and βO Holy Nightβ being sung in the Maori language by Marlon Williams. But it is also a warm family affair with contributions from his nephew, siblings, and his own daughters. It is a fantastic album, complete with the underrated and wonderful βArthur McBrideβ. A great addition to any Christmas collection.
New Found Glory
Decemberβs Here
Hopeless Records
December 3, 2021
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This offering from the punk-pop band New Found Glory includes seasonal sleigh bells and soaring choruses coupled with the bandβs usual high energy. In the press notice for this recording, guitarist Chad Gilbert is quoted as saying, βA lot of holiday music is all the same and are just modern cover versions of old songs. We wanted to add some new music into the mix, give New Found Glory fans their own style holiday. We hope our fans make this a special record for their families.β
Singing about seasonal activities and holiday tropes, the album kicks off with the Beach Boys-inflected title track, βDecemberβs Hereβ. The mid-tempo rocker βHoliday Recordsβ moves along nicely, and name-checks a number of frequently-played artists at Christmastime.
βNothing For Christmasβ is definitely a standout track. Its sentiment lies in the βall I want for Christmas is youβ vein, but with a touch more melancholy. It is the kind of song that reminds the listener of the flipside to holiday joy, but includes hope for the future. Listen for the Dickensian bridge: βI hope there are no ghosts when I dream, telling me to change everything they seeβ.
There are a some hits and a few misses on Decemberβs Here. Not all of the songs βworkβ, and the holiday spirit lags a bit at times. Still, completing a collection of all original Christmas songs is no mean feat. All respect to New Found Glory, for releasing this music. Itβs sure to please the punk rocker on your Christmas list.
Billy Idol
Happy Holidays
Dark Horse/BMG
November 5, 2021
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Billy Idol has recently signed to George Harrisonβs Dark Horse Records, which his son, Dhani, has brought back to life. So far, Idol has released one EP and this reissue of his 2006 Happy Holidays. The cover may be different, but the songs remain the same. Perhaps this album would have best been forgotten. Although Idol plays it straight for the Christmas songs, his voice is not suited for warm, fireside carols. The novelty of Idol singing these Christmas classics wears off rather quickly, and then there is very little unique or interesting. The best songsΒ are the onesΒ which he wrote, βHappy Holidayβ and βChristmas Loveβ, so a single would have been a wiser move, rather than an entire album, and having to hear Idol sing βFrosty The Snowmanβ. I am confident that Idol fans will enjoy this, but it will hold very little interest for others.
Brian Fallon
Night Divine
Lesser Known Records/Thirty Tigers
November 5, 2021
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In a bold move, Brian Fallon (singer/guitarist from The Gaslight Anthem) has released a Christmas album, or rather, a Christian album. Although it is a Christmas release, six out of the 10 of the songs on Night Divine have nothing to do with Christmas. Rather, they are simply old hymns and spiritual songs.
Fallon has never hidden his Christian faith and, while he did not push that agenda in his work with The Gaslight Anthem, he has taken the opportunity to do so here. The result is a simply presented record of some well-known songs of praise. Recorded at Fallonβs home, Night Divine sees the artist performing vocals, guitars and piano, to great effect.
The album begins with a dramatic take on βVirgin Mary Had One Sonβ, a song famously performed by the likes of Odetta and Joan Baez during the 1960s folk music revival. The guitar rolls like the era from which it sprang, and Fallon does an admirable job. The other Christmas-themed songs on the album are also presented well. A noticeable standout is βAngels We Have Heard on Highβ, with its warm sounds, which feature Travis-style acoustic guitar picking and slide guitar.
Of the non-Christmas fare, βAmazing Graceβ and βThe Blessingβ are standouts β the former for its sparse tastefulness and atmospheric distorted guitar ending, and the latter for its paraphrased text of benediction, and hypnotic musical tag. The fragility of Fallonβs honest baritone works better on moodier pieces, and less so on the more straightforward songs. His voice, in this context, is a bit of an acquired taste.
Night Divine works to the extent that it keeps the listenerβs focus on the sacred side of Christmas. If you are one who holds the story of Christmas dear, this album is worth a listen.
Lee Aaron
Almost Christmas
Metalville Records
November 26, 2021
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Once again, this is an older release, being reissued with one bonus track, βEverythingβs Gonna Be Cool This Christmasβ and βAlmost Christmasβ. Worth the price of admission is her cover of The Pet Shop Boyβs βIt Doesnβt Often Snow At Christmasβ. But overall, the Heavy Metal Queen delivers what she promises. She focuses on classic rock βnβ roll tunes such as βRun, Run, Rudolphβ, and βMerry Christmas Everybodyβ. However, she throws in a couple of curve balls with tunes such as βZat You, Santa Clausβ and βPeace On Earthβ. Fans of Aaron will love this, others may want to approach with a little caution.
Various Artists
From The Great White North…
604 Records
November 4, 2021
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Details provided by the label regarding this recording are scant, save for artist names and song titles. That is a shame, really. While some of the artists on this 26-song (!) album are well known, a little promotion would go a long way toward introducing new artists with new sounds to the holiday music-consuming public.
Familiar names like Carly Rae Jepsen, The Zolas, Theory Of A Dead Man, and members of Marianaβs Trench turn in some great radio-friendly performances, but so do the likes of Madysin Gifford and Molly Annelle. Giffordβs βWe Always Had Christmasβ is a folk-pop gem that bears repeated spins. Similarly, Pekoe Catβs βChristmas Feverβ brings a funky techno-pop sheen to the holiday song genre. We will not rate this collection high, as it is simply a collection of singles. Still, the quality is good, and the listener will enjoy discovering some future classics. Get digging!
Paul Anka
Songs Of December (Anniversary Edition)
Universal Music
November 6, 2021
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This is the βAnniversary Editionβ of an album Paul Anka released in 2011. Songs Of December is a very Vegas Christmas. One can imagine your own lounge act in your living room as Anka croons Christmas classic such as βWhite Christmasβ, βThe Christmas Songβ, βSanta Claus Is Coming To Townβ — which is turned into a dirge —Β and βBlue Christmasβ, to name a few. He has also added two new songs: βWinter Wonderlandβ which features Emmanuel, a star in his native Mexico, and βYou And I Together (No Gift Could Be Better)β which features Nasri from Magic! and is the highlight here. Anka sounds great as does the production. However, it is too middle of the road, and perhaps a little too slick.
Molly Johnson
It’s A Snow Globe World
UMe
October 29, 2021
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This release from the Juno Award-winning Molly Johnson, It’s A Snow Globe World, is a welcome addition to the Christmas music canon. The sentiments are traditional, but the music is cool and modern, with jazz and rhythm & blues styles throughout. This album is a bit of a re-package, as it includes previously released songs from Johnsonβs 2020 release This Holiday Season. Six new songs were added, to round out this collection into a full-album release.
The key descriptor for this album is that it is joyful. The songs are great, as are the performances, and Johnsonβs inimitable style holds the whole thing together. Standout tracks include the albumβs single, βDonβt You Know Itβs Christmasβ and βThis Holiday Seasonβ, but even oldies like βWinter Wonderlandβ and βWhat Are You Doing New Yearβs Eveβ are given new life. This is an album that can be enjoyed whether you are at a holiday party, bustling about doing pre-Christmas errands, or enjoying a quiet evening by the fire. Supported by her incredible band (drummer Davide DiRenzo, bassist Mike Downes and pianist Robi Boto, and guest guitarist Donna Grantis), Johnson has given us an excellent album that will be a classic for years to come.
Kat Edmonson
Holiday Swinginβ! A Kat Edmonson Christmas Vol. 1
Spinnerette Records
December 3, 2021
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Kat Edmonson has released a number of albums, combining Texas Swing, Swing, and Jazz into her own distinct style. She has a terrific, expressive voice, and for the most part she sticks to tradition here. The arrangements are jazzier, but she makes them all work. There really arenβt any surprises here although her take on βThe Chipmunk Song (Christmas Donβt Be Lateβ) is a little unexpected. βWhite Christmasβ, βJingle Bell Rockβ, and my favourite, βThe Christmas Bluesβ all sound great.
Steve Perry
The Season
Fantasy Records
November 5, 2021
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This is a collection of Christmas standards from the former Journey frontman, that plays it fairly safe. The production on The Season is clean and the arrangements are lush, but probably no one would call this a great album. Still, Perry and his raspy tenor pull it off, to some degree. The light jazz of βThe Christmas Songβ is decent enough, and the singer gets a little adventurous in his renditions of βWinter Wonderlandβ and βSilver Bellsβ. Overall though, Christmas will not be ruined if you give this one a swerve.
Various Artists
A Sentimental Christmas with Nat βKingβ Cole and Friends: Cole Classics Reimagined
Universal Music
October 29, 2021
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In 1960, Nat βKingβ Cole released The Magic Of Christmas, which has been reissued several times in the past 60 years. Here it is again, with a new title (A Sentimental Christmas with Nat βKingβ Cole and Friends: Cole Classics Reimagined) and a few differences. Co-producers Jay Landers and Jorge Calandrelli have gathered some well-meaning artists to duet with Cole on his classic Christmas songs. A few work such as βDeck The Hall/Joy To The Worldβ with Johnny Mathis as the highlight, and βThe Very Thought Of Youβ with Kristin Chenowith is pretty good,Β but most do not work at all. When it comes to βThe Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)β with John Legend, the less said the better and one is better off sticking with the original. Of course, the songs themselves have been rearranged with orchestration and such, which add very little to the originals. I prefer listening to the original, which still sounds wonderful to me.
Tony Bennett
Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album
Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings
October 1, 2021
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First released in 1968, Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album has certainly stood the test of time. While it was re-mixed and sonically enhanced for this release, it essentially contains nothing new. There are no bonus songs or alternate takes provided on this reissue. Still, Columbia/Legacy is celebrating this album by releasing a mixed-media video for Bennettβs recording of βMy Favourite Thingsβ from The Sound of Music. The video features animation, and makes use of Tony Bennettβs original visual artwork and photographic still photos from his career.
This album was Bennettβs first Christmas release, and it has held up generally well. The title track βSnowfallβ kicks off the collection nicely, and the tight jazz arrangement of βMy Favourite Thingsβ (with its hot horns and cool vibes) has become mandatory holiday listening, despite not actually being a Christmas song.
The holiday song medley is a nice throwback, but in an unusual production choice, the song βWhere Is Love?β (another show tune, this time from Oliver!) is included here. It is bizarre to think that someone in the Columbia Records A&R department decided that a sad song about an orphan looking for his mother would be just the ticket for Bennettβs Christmas album.
But I digress. If you like your Christmas music bold, brassy and in a crooning style, Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album just might be your thing.
Goo Goo Dolls
Itβs Christmas All Over (Deluxe)
Warner Records
November 5, 2021
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This is a straight rerelease of last yearβs Itβs Christmas All Over but with one bonus track, βOne Last Song About Christmasβ. The song itself is fine, but is it worth rebuying the album? You decide. The Goo Goo Dolls throw in one traditional carol, βHark! The Herald Angels Singβ, cover some classics with βHave Yourself A Merry Little Christmasβ,Β and add a few new tracks, including βBetter Daysβ and the funny βYou Ainβt Getting Nothingβ. I like what The Goo Goo Dolls tried to do, but overall, it just doesnβt hit the mark.
Norah Jones
I Dream Of Christmas
Blue Note Records
October 15, 2021
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There are no surprises here, musically, lyrically or in song selection. This is smooth, middle of the road pop. You also have Norah Jonesβs incredible vocals. There is nothing wrong with this release, and the few originals are quite welcomed, but overall it is exactly as advertised. Jazz mixes with pop and one is left with a warm glow. Jonesβs cover of βThe Chipmunk Song (Christmas Donβt Be Late)β is fun, but it is the originals that stand out for me. Opener βChristmas Calling (Jolly Jones)β is simply sublime, while βItβs Only Christmas Once A Yearβ is simply heartbreaking. βRun, Rudolph, Runβ must be heard to be appreciated and in the end it is a rather fine Christmas release.
Art Of Time Ensemble
Christmas In Prison
Art Of Time Recordings
November 26, 2021
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Andrew Burashko and his Art Of Time Ensemble have come together for their first Christmas album, and it is a good one. Artists Jessica Mitchell, Jackie Richardson, Liam Russell-Titcomb, David Wall, Tom Wilson, and the Canadian Childrenβs Opera Company join the ensemble and cover some very unique choices. There is even a fun Hanukkah song (β(Iβm Spending) Hanukkah In Santa Monicaβ. Burashko has chosen songs that are not typically covered on Christmas albums. There is a great medley of βSilent Night/Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolisβ. It was pure genius combining the traditional carol with Tom Waits. Their cover of John Lennon and Yoko Onoβs βHappy Xmas (War Is Over)β is distinctly their own, yet they maintain the melody of the original, and the title track, their cover of John Prineβs βChristmas In Prisonβ is nice to hear as well. A nice addition to any Christmas collection.