This is the first album I have come across from Bongo Boy Records, and if they are all as interesting as this one, I can see I am going to be looking out for more from them in the future. It is not unusual for labels to release compilations at Christmas, and the next review I am going to write is for a similar set, but it is great to see a label keeping up the trend over a period of years as I am guessing that given the title this is the ninth year they have put an album out of this type. Now, I do listen to a lot of Christmas music at this time of year given it is by far my wife’s favourite season, and when we were putting up the first tree last week along with the decorations in the living room, we were listening to a Spotify selection. We may both be in our sixties but there are only so many times one can listen to the classics, while there are very few modern pop numbers I can stand, and she does not follow my interest in rock or jazz, but I can definitely see us playing this set together in future.
The reason for that is this may be in many ways an easy listening set, but we go through pop rock, Americana, country, instrumental, blues and a load more. There is a mix of Christmas songs we all know along with some originals, and it makes for a wonderfully diverse and interesting collection. There cannot be many Christmas numbers with steel drums, but “Santa Jamaica (Jolly Old St. Nicholas vs Santa Jamaica)” by Fans of Jimmy Century have them in spades, and very pleasant it is too. Given it is currently 26 degrees Celsius here, it is way far more fitting to have music which makes me think of a beach than a snowstorm. I also discovered an old friend as well, as Steve Andrews (also known as the Bard of Ely) is here with the wonderfully catchy “Climb Through A Rainbow” and I have reviewed the Welshman’s music in the past. I must confess to not knowing anyone else on this 15-track set before playing this, but the point of this style of compilation is to bring artists in front of people who may not otherwise have heard them, and this set works very well indeed in doing just that. The page on the website includes links to all the individual tracks and I suggest you check it out as this is enjoyable from beginning to end.
