Review and More

Our Review

I first had the good fortune of hearing Courtney Collins when she performed with Arena Venus on Yuletide Swank in 2004. Collins' husky, dusky alto stole the show. And so it is with her 2008 holiday entry, Welcome to Christmastown. One look at the cover art, and you know something special is coming down the pike. That funky red cardinal, clipped to the frosted artificial tree, welcomes the audience to Christmastown with a glassy-eyed, beaded stare. Creepy, cute, and cool, all in the same moment!

Welcome to Christmastown is an ultra-modern exercise with retro pizazz. This is pop/rock pleasure, presented like a dream sequence on an old-time radio program. Seriously. Steer clear if you are hoping for classic renditions of well-loved carols. Collins and her excellent colleagues (primarily Jeremy Ylvisaker, with J.T. Bates & Michael Lewis) offer up one or two popular nuggets, but for the most part, generate creative heat with some new pieces and ingenious covers of less-familiar fare. I adore Collins' voice, which is nicely showcased here (although the orchestration crowds her vocals on occasion--e.g., Just Like Christmas).

The opening A Marshmallow World is brilliant. The day-dreamy island vibe suits the song in every respect, and Collins' full-bodied voice exudes sensuality and comfort. Nice! Maybe This Christmas displays Collins' haunted yearnings over a whimsical ratcheting backdrop. Her super-slow I'll Be Home for Christmas is oh-so languid, and she embraces Come On-A My House with just the right blend of gauzy naughty and nice (leaning more heavily on the naughty end). The campy The Most Wonderful Day of the Year is the anthem sung on the Island of Misfit Toys--weirdly wonderful.

The album includes three instrumentals. Although Ylvisaker's techno Song of Mary is a bit too industrial for my tastes, his Neither Snow Nor Gloom of Night is more accessible, painting synth-charged scenes of darkness and light. And the minimalist, discordant Welcome Christmas is a gentle gem.

The final cut is Neil Young's Winterlong. I'm a huge fan of Young (having seen him in concert just last month), and Collins does the melancholy piece sweet justice. It's a satisfying finish to a rewarding release.

Welcome to Christmas is definitely not for everyone, and I mean that in a very good way. This fascinating and fantastical electro-synth pop-rock is edgy and often sublime. Much of it floats my boat, and the more challenging tracks make the album even more interesting. If you are looking for a holiday adventure, experience the Christmastown cruise. Enjoy the ride!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2008)

More

From the liner notes:

J.T. Bates - drums, percussion, etc.
Courtney Collins - voice, zither
Michael Lewis - upright bass, saxophone, clarinet
Jeremy Ylvisaker - other instruments, voice, etc.

Recorded by Micheal Larsen
Mastered by Brad Armstrong

Photography by Tom Baugh
Christmastown by Jeremy
Design by Adrian Suarez

From the Website:

My friends and I have just released a new CD--it's called Welcome to Christmastown by Courtney Collins and Jeremy Ylvisaker with J.T. Bates and Michael Lewis. We spent many weeks this Summer and Fall whipping up what would best be described as a dreamy, sometimes melancholy/sometimes cheery, wintery holiday disc. Jeremy recorded most of my earlier CDs and we've been friends for years--last Christmas we decided to make a CD in time for this Christmas. Jeremy plays guitar with Andrew Bird and Carbon Carousel, and Jeremy, J.T., and Mike are also in a great band together called Alpha Consumer. J.T. and Mike play in the jazz trio Fat Kid Wednesdays--JT also drums for "A Prairie Home Companion" and Mike is a multi-instrumentalist and plays in Happy Apple and Dosh. A lot to keep track of, yes? They're all amazingly talented and it was a fun summer spent making music with these guys.

Courtney Collins & Jeremy Ylvisaker

Welcome to Christmastown

Artist link

Track List