Funny Looking Angels, Smith & Burrows (Kitchenware)

This 2011 Christmas album was a collaboration between Tom Smith of the Editors and Andy Burrows, who was in Razorlight, We Are Scientists, and several other groups. They're still together and maintain a Facebook page that was updated as recently as June 2021, but it appears their debut album was this holiday collection. It's a modern pop-rock collection of originals and covers, although only opener "In the Bleak Midwinter" and closer "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," the latter with a guest vocal by Agnes Obel, are immediately recognizable holiday classics. The sound is a sort of grown-up version of 80s-90s British post-New Wave balladry, with midtempo songs ruling the playlist. The artists' own "When the Thames Froze," "As the Snowflakes Fall," "Rosslyn," and "This Ain't New Jersey" set the more-winter, less-Christmas tone, as do Black's "Wonderful Life," Longpigs' "On and On," the title tune that originated with the band Delta, and Yazoo's non-holiday hit "Only You." The title tune is the hit here, although "Thames" was also released back in the day as a single in the UK. An enjoyable collection.