Music review: Ana Gasteyer 鈥� 鈥楽ugar & Booze鈥�
With Halloween now just a sugarcoated memory and Thanksgiving quietly waiting in the wings, it鈥檚 that glorious period when artists begin releasing new holiday albums.
While I鈥檒l admit that my Christmas music collection is so extensive that I normally only get the opportunity to listen to a portion of the catalog before the season has passed me by, that doesn鈥檛 deter me from still getting excited when the new releases are announced.
Last year, a sentimental and humorous offering by JD McPherson completely won me over. Simply titled 鈥淪ocks,鈥� McPherson鈥檚 debut Christmas release was full of retro-sounding arrangements that reflected a simpler time when children really did believe in Santa.
Ana Gasteyer鈥檚 鈥淪ugar & Booze鈥� is the early front-runner this year. The new album from the former 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� cast member features a modern take on the swing and jazz sounds of the 鈥�50s and 鈥�60s.
Gasteyer鈥檚 performance is a pleasurable treat as she smoothly navigates a delightful assortment of original tracks with a number of holiday classics sprinkled in for good measure.
On the title track, Gasteyer expresses a fondness for snowmen, turtle doves, Christmas tree lights, mistletoe and holly. However, she coyly confesses that the best part of the holidays is hitting the sweets and sauce.
鈥淪ecret Santa鈥� is another clever original that features Gasteyer with Maya Rudolph spilling the beans about a recent trip to Havana in search of the perfect Christmas gift, where she clumsily slips on a banana and wakes up in a cabana sipping rum and orange Fanta.
Traditional favorites like 鈥淗ave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,鈥� 鈥淚鈥檝e Got My Love to Keep Me Warm鈥� and 鈥淪leigh Ride鈥� set a seasonal mood by stirring up images of spending quality time with friends and family by a cozy fire with a winter wonderland magically appearing outside as snow blankets the ground in a covering of sparkling white.
Gasteyer adds a little sex appeal and over-the-top dramatics to 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a Mean One Mr. Grinch鈥� and provides an abundance of energy and charisma to 鈥淭he Man with the Bag.鈥�
鈥淐hildren Go Where I Send Thee鈥� finds Gasteyer delivering the true reason for the season on this moving arrangement about faith, hope and joy.
As you prepare for your Thanksgiving feast, remember that it鈥檚 never too early to begin preparing for Christmas. One thing that is certain, 鈥淪ugar & Booze鈥� will help to make the yuletide gay.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.