Steve Perry - The Season
Another entry in the “I wish they’d done a Christmas album back in their heyday’ sweepstakes from rock legend / former Journey front man Steve Perry. Of course, this is a far more subdued and introspective offering than we would have gotten a couple of decades ago and those are its strengths.
Firmly in the Adult Contemporary section, The Season is perfectly fine but still a bit of a disappointment, par for the course for these late-career Christmas, I won’t call them cash-in, efforts from musical royalty.
*******
ABBA - Little Things
Though ABBA has done a bit of Christmas in the past, both together and as solo artists, this is another of those where I wish they’d done it ages ago. Unlike Steve Perry though, the ladies’ voices have held up much better and the fellas’ writing and production chops are still pretty sharp.
Little Things, off their unexpected reunion album Voyage, is but a trifle, pleasant enough, but not the holiday classic a group as talented as ABBA should have produced at least once in their career.
*******
Mokita - I’ll be Home for Christmas
Perfectly nice, low key, version of the old chestnut.
*******
Jess Gillam - Nutcracker Medley
Fun little medley from classical sax celeb Gillam.
*******
She and Him - Holiday Maxi Single
Three new, supposedly, festive tunes from She and Him, led off with a Madonna cover that I pray programmers don’t try to make a Christmas song. Next comes the myriad plus infinity cover of Last Christmas, it’s fine. Finally, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, which sounds like Zoey was singing along to a Leon Redbone record. Inessential but not bad.
*******
Eric Clapton - Happy Xmas (Deluxe edition)
Two bonus tracks, only one of which is a Christmas tune - Just a Little Bit of Christmas, and it’s pretty good and fits with the album just fine.
*******
Kat Edmonson - Jingle Bell Rock
Familiar favorite covered in an appealing and just different enough way to make it a welcome addition to your Christmas party playlist.
.
********
Cody Johnson - Hat Made of Mistletoe
Fun little country ditty.
*******
Stars Go Dim - The First Noel
Decent go at First Noel from Christian pop act Stars Go Dim.
*******
A Rock by the Sea Christmas Volume 12
Better than average charity compilation series newest release offers a nice mix of new and familiar songs in various genre flavors.
Personal faves include Snow globe from Drew Angus, Fa La La La’ing in Love by Run Katie Run, and the English Nick and the Yanks cover of Merry Xmas Everybody.
There’s nothing exceptional here but, it is for a good cause so I appreciate that and am probably grading on a bit of a curve because of it..
