It should be no big surprise, given the success the Georgia duo Sugarland has enjoyed the last few years, that they would release a Christmas album. It combines five cover tunes and five originals.
It opens with an original, “City of Silver Dreams.” Jennifer Nettles sings lead. Her voice is pretty, but somehow her Southern drawls seems somewhat out of place on this tune about New York City at Christmastime, with an undercurrent of heartbreak. “It’s like this whole town has swallowed some magic/ with the taxi horns singing ‘Noel.’”
Her vocal style is better suited to a country boogie version of “Winter Wonderland.” Pedal steel guitar gives it some real twang.
Kristian Bush takes over lead vocals on “Holly Jolly Christmas.” Having a male voice in the forefront at least adds some variety, with Nettles doing some backing vocals.
Nettles is back singing lead on the original “Coming Home,” which shows she is quite comfortable singing rhythm and blues. There is even a gospel choir in the chorus. It is about a woman going to her parents’ house for Christmas and having a conversation with her mother. “Me, I’m alright but is there any way/ that you could make space, say grace and set my place at the table.”
The title track is about the warmth and joy of the season. “The lights on the tree shining all through the city/ are the prettiest I’ve ever seen/ and the world decides to sleep safe tonight.” She works in part of “First Noel” in one verse. The slow pace fits well with the lyrics, but the strings are a bit much at times.
“Maybe Baby” is sung by Bush and sounds the most like Sugarland’s last album. It is about a guy going back to his hometown and hoping to run into an old girlfriend on Christmas, or perhaps better, New Year’s Eve. “Streamers and papers piling up on the ground/ baby did you come here alone?/ are you maybe looking for someone to kiss you?” This is perhaps the weakest track. It sounds like something Bon Jovi would write.
Sugarland can do old-school $#!%kicker music, as evident on their cover of “Nuttin’ For Christmas.” This is one of the highlights on the album.
“Little Wood Guitar,” written by Bush and Ellis Paul, is a sweet tune about a little girl getting a guitar for Christmas and making the most of the gift. “What it brought was neon lights and crowded bars/ like all the kings with all their gold who went chasing down your star, I’m told.”
They saved the best for last, a version of “Silent Night” sung by Nettles alternately in Spanish and English.
As on their other albums, Sugarland does pop-oriented material here with mixed results. They have not forgotten they are country musicians from the South and are often at their best when ramping up the down-home flavor.
The fact they wrote some original Christmas tunes makes this stand out from the typical collection of holiday classics.
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