It's that time of year again. I mean, what is today, Yellow Thursday? It's the time for Elf to be on TV constantly, Wal-Mart to have really annoying commercials and me to stress out about buying my family members things they'll actually use.
Every year, I tend to stick like gum to one holiday album. Last year, it was Pink Martini. The year before that, it was the Antlers BECAUSE I WAS MISERABLE and nothing says miserable like an album about losing your girlfriend to cancer.
This year though, I went out and got the She & Him album. Why? Because Zooey could work for the gestapo and I'd take it?
/shame
I didn't have any real high standards for this album (much like the New Girl, which I ended up loving). I mean, a Christmas album is a Christmas album and the only thing I can hold it up to be better than is either the Tori travesty or the NBC 2002 holiday mess, or 2001, whatever it was it sucked balls.
She & Him, however, show those kids how it's done. Listen up, Rihanna! Your Christmas stuff is terrible! I've HEARD your song nonstop on Classy 100 and it makes me want to grab that rifle from A Christmas Story and shoot my ears out. What's wrong with you?
She & Him choose to approach Christmas from a classic, traditional perspective. Meaning- they do not infuse Christmas with any modern day top 40 heartlessness. Instead, this has a very 1960s feel, much like the rest of their stuff. In fact, picture yourself drinking a cup of coffee or cocoa on Christmas Eve morning at the Cracker Barrel, my favorite place in the world...
The reverb is just right and the M. Ward presence is definitely felt. The production is low-key, the guitar is just twangy enough but not too much, the feel is laidback and easy. like a nice Californian Christmas, circa 1966. Each song feels cheery when it needs to be, more wistful when the tone is right. It's a perfect little holiday album, it really is. PLAY IT WHEN YOU DECORATE YOUR FAKE TREE
My only qualms?
It feels rushed in places. Like, they had to meet a snappy deadline, and you know they did. Commercialism is great! I'm not going to lie. Occupy...occupy...occupy what? Wal-Mart? You listen and don't tell me you don't hear an edge of sloppiness.
Overall, though. If you like holiday music, Cracker Barrel and Zooey Deschanel, BUY THIS ALBUM. It's also home to one of the few decent versions of "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" I have ever heard.
Seriously......nobody covers that song well.
Every year, I tend to stick like gum to one holiday album. Last year, it was Pink Martini. The year before that, it was the Antlers BECAUSE I WAS MISERABLE and nothing says miserable like an album about losing your girlfriend to cancer.
This year though, I went out and got the She & Him album. Why? Because Zooey could work for the gestapo and I'd take it? /shame
I didn't have any real high standards for this album (much like the New Girl, which I ended up loving). I mean, a Christmas album is a Christmas album and the only thing I can hold it up to be better than is either the Tori travesty or the NBC 2002 holiday mess, or 2001, whatever it was it sucked balls.
She & Him, however, show those kids how it's done. Listen up, Rihanna! Your Christmas stuff is terrible! I've HEARD your song nonstop on Classy 100 and it makes me want to grab that rifle from A Christmas Story and shoot my ears out. What's wrong with you?
She & Him choose to approach Christmas from a classic, traditional perspective. Meaning- they do not infuse Christmas with any modern day top 40 heartlessness. Instead, this has a very 1960s feel, much like the rest of their stuff. In fact, picture yourself drinking a cup of coffee or cocoa on Christmas Eve morning at the Cracker Barrel, my favorite place in the world...
I SMELL AN EPIC REVIEW BREWING OR IMAGINARY PANCAKES
DO YOU SMELL THEM? TAKE A WHIFF TOGETHERThe reverb is just right and the M. Ward presence is definitely felt. The production is low-key, the guitar is just twangy enough but not too much, the feel is laidback and easy. like a nice Californian Christmas, circa 1966. Each song feels cheery when it needs to be, more wistful when the tone is right. It's a perfect little holiday album, it really is. PLAY IT WHEN YOU DECORATE YOUR FAKE TREE
My only qualms?
It feels rushed in places. Like, they had to meet a snappy deadline, and you know they did. Commercialism is great! I'm not going to lie. Occupy...occupy...occupy what? Wal-Mart? You listen and don't tell me you don't hear an edge of sloppiness.
Overall, though. If you like holiday music, Cracker Barrel and Zooey Deschanel, BUY THIS ALBUM. It's also home to one of the few decent versions of "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" I have ever heard.
Seriously......nobody covers that song well.
Happy Christmas Season
ReplyDeletePS: Cracker Barrel would be a nice euphemism for a fat whitey's ass.
touche....I never even thought of that. DURR
ReplyDelete