NICK LOWE
Quality Street: A Seasonal
Selection For All The Family
(Yep Roc)
Lowe has spent the last 40-plus years
promulgating everything from pub-rock
and power-pop to neo-rockabilly and
autumnal acoustic introspection, all with a
gimlet eye focused on both the log in his
own eye and the splinter in his neighbor’s.
And on Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection
For All The Family, he reaps what he has
sown. More than anything else, he and his
jauntily rootsy combo sound relaxed, as at
peace with both Santa and the Virgin Birth
as C.S. Lewis was in The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe. Seamlessly blended
cover tunes, traditional numbers, two
originals (one catchy and funny, one
thought provoking)--it’s nearly impossible
to tell where the secular ends and the
sacred begins, maybe because for Lowe
the two are one.
–Arsenio Orteza
8
tional tunes, some left of center covers and
a few originals all shaded around the
darker side of the season. Considering the
stripped down nature of this collection,
don't expect any massive four on the floor
dance beats or disco-drenched decadence,
though Snow Globe is still undeniably
Erasure. Bell hits the highest of vocal highs
on synth-laden ballads like "Bells Of Love"
and "Silent Night," while Clarke’s electro
wizardry feels the freshest throughout
"Make It Wonderful" and "Brooklyn." The
group cites recent Yuletide albums by Kate
Bush and Tracey Thorn as inspirations and
the project is certainly replete with parallels, even if its bulk is more subdued than
the club crowd typically appreciates.
– Andy Argyrakis
7
BRANDEN JAMES
The Voice Of Christmas
(Mcon)
Chicago transplant Branden James
made his mark this past summer as a finalist on America's Got Talent, but his background performing for Chicago's Lyric
Opera and Los Angeles Opera gave him
the chops to comfortably record The Voice
Of Christmas. James is blessed with a tenor
Erasure
NEVER SHOUT NEVER
The Xmas EP
(Loveway)
Joplin, MO's Never Shout Never brings
indie-rock cred to the holiday music smorgasbord with The Xmas EP. Smothered in
angular, ringing acoustic guitars, twee harmonies and sugary holiday vibes, vocalist
Christofer Drew and Dia Frampton (The
Voice, Meg & Dia) are the alt-rock version
of Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark. "Under
The Mistletoe" has the makings of a lasting
Christmas classic, trading he/she harmonies while piling on every Christmas
cliche they can fit in the lyric sheet - and it
works. Covers of John Prine's "Everything
Is Cool" and John & Yoko's (Plastic Ono
Band) "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" are
lighthearted, spirited and true to the originals.
– J ????Y????)?????????????M????????(?()IMUI)M??? ????(?5???)Q???????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)??????????????????? ???????@???)???????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)?????????=??????????????????????????)Q??????e?]????????? ????????Y????)
??????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????()?????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????
?????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????<)
???????e?????????