This St. Louis band, an ad hoc grouping of people who perform holiday shows in their home town, put out a Christmas album in 2009 and are back in the fray for 2014 with another album of holiday goodies. "Christmas Isn't Like Any Day" opens things promisingly with an attempt at a Phil Spector anthem filtered through a Midwestern/Americana influence, followed by a parody take on the jazzy Jon Hendricks tune "Gimme That Wine" as "Gimme That Twine," complete with an exhortation that "It's Twine Time!" to open the tune. The group goes to the soul well with the ballad "Christmas Time (Come On Over)" and the funkier "Soul of Christmas," while "A Christmas Snowfall" is a ballad in which the singer goes to church to find Christmas spirit, a sort of holiday second to "Walking In Memphis," and "Snowbound Girl," another ballad, plows some of the same sidewalks. "Sick Again" is a short tear-jerker in which the singer's condition is self-inflicted. The "coming home for Christmas" song on this album is the pop-rocker "Christmas at the Super 8," and "Merry Christmas Everyone" tips a hat to the standard Christmas verities. The group tries (and succeeds) on some less-heard covers as well, like Big Dee & Little Eva's "I Wish You a Merry Christmas," Marvin Gaye's "Purple Snowflakes," and Stackridge's "North St. Grande," a soldier's holiday lament. The combination of these musicians' original songs, unique covers and community spirit make this album worth adding to your holiday collection.
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