I am all for artists repackaging their festive fare with new material and snazzy new cover art. A Christmas album should be perennial, not just for the year it is released - the music should become part of your playlist and memories. Last year, the Goo Goo Dolls surprised us all with the very good indeed It's Christmas All Over, proving that holiday music transcends trends and plays delightfully well in all sorts of genres. What worked really well about it is that it still felt like a Goo Goo Dolls album but there was also a definite respect for the Christmas classics they were performing. They obviously had such a rollicking good time that they are back this year - not only with two brand new songs but a whole host of merchandise, including some rather snazzy looking drinking glasses. Festive!
One Last Song About Christmas ~ this original composition opens with a lyric that will hit home like a devastating epiphany; "I can still feel the cold from the year that just passed/been drinking our lives from a half empty glass" perfectly encapsulates the sense of hopelessness we all feel at one point or other (particularly after navigating our ways through a global pandemic). But while this charmingly crafted ballad has melancholy reflections, it has hope in its heart - and, most importantly, in its chorus. A piano-percussion accompaniment swells to include muted horns and a subtle infusion of harmonies, recalling the Christmas classics of days gone by. The message is find comfort where you can and use that optimistic interaction to make the season merry and bright. All crescendos into one enormous convivial sing-along that will make you glad from head to (mistle)toe.
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm ~ (review coming Nov 5th)
https://myfestivepop.blogspot.com/2021/10/goo-goo-dolls-its-christmas-all-over.html