Despite the name, this is a British pop-rock band with several albums to their credit, and for 2014 they tackle Christmas with an EP of strong power-pop provenance. Four originals, including the previously released and delightfully snarky "A Doe to a Deer," join versions of Mud's "Lonely This Christmas," which gets a downtempo treatment, and the antique carol "The Holly and the Ivy," which is reverent but still fits in with the other songs. "When Christmas Comes" is an almost triumphal rock anthem, "Kindle a Flame In Her Heart" is a fine midtempo holiday love song and "The Trains Don't Run (It's Christmas Day)," is a stop-motion tempo ode to a typically British concern, seeing as how they actually have trains for people to ride on most places. I could have stood an album-length project, but I won't be greedy; this is an almost perfect Christmas record. (They're selling some vinyl copies at their shows and a few selected UK-US stores.)
Leave a comment