America - Holiday Harmony

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Free Music Notes for Holiday Harmony

Free Music Review: A Christmas album to enjoy all year long
Hit: 5 Stars

The release of Holiday Harmony puts such doubts to rest. Not only is this a great Christmas album, it is also a fantastic album in its own right. Simply put, America hasn't sounded so good in decades. Unlike recent efforts like Hourglass or Human Nature, America eschews contemporary pop styling for a more elemental acoustic sound with surprisingly effective results. Producer Andrew Gold (famous for the '70s hit "Lonely Girl" and the "Golden Girls" theme) obviously put a lot of love and care into nurturing America's unique sound, and the whole album comes across as warm, honest, and very cohesive. And the Christmas standards that they cover have never been so catchy and fun to sing along with!

The album starts off with Dewey's rendition of "Winter Wonderland," which features harmony vocals that draw upon "A Horse With No Name" motif. Gerry's take on "Let It Snow" features a classy, 1940s-era guitar style with some fantastic backing on the viola. "White Christmas" incorporates the classic "Tin Man" guitar and vocal arrangement in a new and unexpectedly effective take on the Bing Crosby classic. Other traditional songs, like "Silver Bells," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," and "Silent Night," have more traditional renditions, but are delivered with warmth and affection.

"Sleigh Ride" features a rougher, electric take on this standard, and "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" casts this classic in a Beatlesque light with impressive results.

The album features three new tracks. "A Christmas To Remember" is a slower ballad with sentimental lyrics. "Winter Holidays" incorporates guitar chords similar to "Muskrat Love," and showcases the classic Dewey Bunnel delivery that we remember from songs like "Old Man Took."

The standout cut on the album is "Christmas In California," written by Dewey and Andrew Gold and sung by Gerry. The lyrics about Christmas "under palm trees, sun and blue" are incredibly catchy, and the feel of the song is strongly reminiscent of "Ventura Highway," right down to the lyrics of the "wind in your hair" and the breezy guitar riff. Yet this song stands on its own as a modern America classic.

Although this album is geared toward Christmas, don't be fooled! This is the sort of album that can make you feel good all over in the middle of October or any other month!

This album's exceptional feel only makes me hope for another collaboration between Andrew Gold and America. It's a winning combination!

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