Can't Stop Thinking About Christmas, Universal Honey (41 Records)

This Canadian duo was a big deal in its day, with five albums, song placements on "Dawson's Creek," "Grosse Point" and "Time of your Life" and sold-out Canadian tours to their credit, along with the occasional foray south of the border. This 2003 CD is their only full Christmas album, and it's chock full of originals, going to the songbook only once for an acoustic version of "I Saw Three Ships." They have that Sixties girl-pop-rock sound updated for the modern day, they've got quite a way with a hook, and the songs tie typical love song sentiments tightly into the holiday. The title song follows footprints in the snow to make an accusation of infidelity, while "ah-ah" vocals punctuate the beat. "Glad It's Christmastime" and "Best Christmas Ever" are great mix CD candidates. "The Celebration" is a duet of a beleaguered couple trying to find their groove: "It's Christmastime and we should be getting it on...." "Let Me Be Your Santa Claus" is a harder rocker, and "The Bells" starts off all sincere but swings into a Chuck Berry shuffle, talks about women going to see heavy metal bands in bars while pleading for a designated driver. The whole album is like this -- solid pop-rock performances, killer choruses and a strong eye for modern detail among the holiday sentiments. We'll forgive them one non-holiday song, "You Still Love Me." All told, an excellent holiday disc for rock and pop fans. The band appears to have ceased operations, so not surprisingly their music is out of print in the USA, though Amazon links to third-party vendors with cut-price new and used copies; click the album cover.