Almost a Full Moon, Hawksley Workman (Isidora/Universal Canada)

A California correspondent, Vicki Pasek, put me onto this 2002 CD, and I have to say it wasn't what I expected. I was under the impression that Workman was some kind of Gordon Lightfoot-come-lately, but it turns out this guy has great pop and rock sensibilities along with a quirky way of looking at things -- take "Learn How to Knit," a ballad about that very topic as a way of making Christmas presents. "First Snow of the Year" is a sprightly rocker that romanticizes what will eventually be a seasonal nuisance. "Merry Christmas (I Love You)" is a 9/11 homage to a lover who may or may not still be among us, then the singer decides to just succumb to a holiday "Common Cold." "Three Generations" is a fun faux-polka about families taking pictures of each other on Christmas. The title song loses the Christmas plot a little, but it's still a nice love story, and "Watching the Fire" is in a similar vein. A fairly conventional "Silent Night" wraps the album. This is good enough to encourage listeners to seek out Workman's other CDs. The album art links to Amazon, but it's only available through third party sellers there, as it has always been a Canada-only release. Here's a link to a Canadian seller, which is for a reissue with two additional songs. It's also on Canadian iTunes.