Emma: ***.5
Charlie: ****.5
Emma: This was a tricky call for me, I very nearly could give this one four stars. It's mainly really good. Doing that Eastern-Canada Celtic Christmas thing very well with gorgeous family harmonies, thoughtful arrangements and definite jig-ability. Half-star lost for the (why? Why Christmas albums, why?) spoken word track mid-way through.
Charlie: A delightful combination of lovely, close-and-polished-but-not-overly-smooth vocals with musically-accomplished celtic trad band playing, this album hits high notes on nearly every track. They've got the polish of Riverdance with none of the pandering, the enthusiasm of a scrappy indie band, and the well-worn warmth of a pub band of lifers in Dublin. Special call-out to the understated but wonderful piano playing that hides among and supports the rest of the instruments. The only gripes I have are the seemingly-obligatory spoken word track (skip it) and one of the slower original tunes that doesn't quite reach the level of the others. Highly recommended.
Make it yours?: Yes
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