Fezziwig, The Yule Logs (self-issued)

We've had this bunch of Chico, CA goofballs on the site before. They bill themselves as the only full-time Christmas band in existence, and they've put out a few albums before, but I hadn't heard much recently. Well, I just found this new album that dropped in November 2021. Previous entries were dominated by parody songs, but this new album is mostly original tunes except for the classic "Do You Hear What I Hear," "December in Love," which they got from a New York group called Street the Beat, "Mr. Weatherman" from a 60s Texas group called The Novas, and "Hold Tight," which is a cover of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. (Yes, that band actually exists, and was fleetingly referenced by George Harrison in the studio outtakes of "I Me Mine" from the Get Back/Let It Be project.) If you happened on this blindly and put it on in the background, you'd assume this was some great lost power pop project, and if the first tune you heard was "Little Drummer Girl," you'd be even more certain of that. The tune has no relationship to the more famous drummer carol and is all the better for it. Other tunes include "Tahoo Town," a call-out to the start of winter in Lake Tahoe; "Hanukkah Snuck Up On Me," which is only fair since 2021's celebration tracked closer to Thanksgiving than Christmas; "Seasonal Affective Disorder," one to sing along to all winter long; "Out in the Cold," about holiday loneliness; "Next Year," another song you can use instead of "Auld Lang Syne"; and the ballad "No Christmas Lights in Greektown," which devotes a verse to mentioning that they're not an 80s cover band unless you like Wham!, and confirming that yes, they play that Wham! song. Another great holiday album from a great holiday party band. Although I prefer you click on the cover and get it from Amazon, I would be remiss if I didn't note that they offer a discount on their full Christmas catalog via Bandcamp.