This Burlington, Ontario band is probably best known for its five members gathering around a single guitar to play Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" on YouTube. Give 'em credit for a smart promotional device there. This 2014 EP is six not particularly obscure choices from the Christmas repertoire, and the sound is that of a contemporary pop-rock band, nothing earthshaking, but also nothing that's sequenced, vocordered and auto-tuned to a fare-thee-well as so much contemporary pop and rock music is. This is the sound of five people making music together, and good on 'em for keeping the tradition going. "A Marshmallow World" and "Sleigh Ride" are straight off the Phil Spector album, although they bring their own personalities to the performances, "Silent Night" is done as a ukelele tune, "Holly Jolly Christmas" is an almost country performance, in keeping with the original, and "I Saw Three Ships" and "Feliz Navidad" are sprightly versions in folky arrangements with nylon-stringed instruments to the fore. A little more originality would have pushed this to the front of this year's releases, but this collection does have its charms.
Leave a comment