This isn't a very Christmas-y site. But, I guess it is now thanks to The Martial Arts. Paul Kelly is back with a fine EP of holiday-themed tunes. Christmas with The Martial Arts is out now via the esteemed WIAIWYA label, and it's a delight, really.
Opener "Stockings" is as wonderfully garish as a Roy Wood tune, as Dug T. Stewart from BMX Bandits has already said. It's not as over-the-top as Wizzard's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", but it's just as catchy. Kelly layers the instruments and lets the spry piano-line carry the tune before things burst into a big chorus. "Snow Flakes" reminded me of The Feeling (you remember, Sophie Ellis-Bextor's husband's band?), and I mean that in a good way. Their second album was full of ELO-inspired pop and this is similar. In a perfect world, this would be a big radio hit. Elsewhere, Paul Kelly adds in a cover of a song by Jeff and Steven McDonald of Redd Kross and Anna Waronker of that dog. It's a heartfelt number, one which Kelly renders simply. There's a layered sound here, but the guitar line and the mix on the vocal make it something special, and it's a real highlight of this EP. Christmas with The Martial Arts closes with a cover of a song by Molly Nilsson. "Blinded by the Night" isn't a holiday tune, but the tune fits the mood here, especially with the Spector-ish production on this one.
Christmas with The Martial Arts is out now via WIAIWYA.
More details on The Martial Arts via the official Facebook page.