That Fuzzy Feeling EP, The Arctic Circle (Static Caravan)

British band The Arctic Circle is a rotating collective of artists, and this 2008 EP (download, but a limited number of physical copies are available over the Web) features Josh Weller, Emily Barker, Ted Barnes, Dale Grundle, Paloma Faith and the Puffin Voices performing five original takes on the holiday. These folks achieve a kind of alt-pop-folk ambience not dissimilar to Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst or Sufjan Stevens. "It's Christmas and I Can't Find You a Present" starts out downbeat and gentle with a declaration of love, then the mood turns with "It's Christmas (And I Hate You)," in which Paloma Faith and Josh Weller argue musically in a kind of folk-jazz "Baby It's Cold Outside" gone badly. "This Ole World Grown Quiet" is a cello-led lament, and "Unreasonable Dream: Christmas Night" is sung against an orchestral pad and banjo, slowly at first, then it picks up in the middle to tell its dreamy story. Mustn't forget "I'll Save the Bathwater For You This Christmas Time," a great title for what is a love ballad veiled in a bit of dry humor, you should pardon the pun. While researching this review, I discovered there was a That Fuzzy Feeling album last year, but with all different songs and artists; will have to track that down later.