Paul Kelly’s Christmas Train
Gawd Aggie/Cooking Vinyl, 2021
8/10
Listen to Paul Kelly’s Christmas Train
The Australian artist Paul Kelly brings us a mammoth of a holiday album, where 22 tracks are indebted to his southern hemisphere life, and are put through his diverse and inimitable filter.
After the warm acoustic guitar and cozy vocals open up the dreamy “Nativity”, “Silent Night” follows with gorgeous harmonizing of the ukulele friendly interpretation.
Further into the listen, “Little Drummer Boy” indeed uses precise drumming amid the playful setting, while “The Virgin Mary Had One Son” gets soulful in a vocally powerful and musically bare album highlight. “The Friendly Beasts”, another excellent track, then emits a gospel angle alongside the many voices.
Deeper still, the bristling rock of “Christmas Train” bounces and shakes with plenty of melody and grit, and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” exits the listen with graceful guitar paired with expressive and pretty singing in a folksy sort of way.
While those of us in the States are used to the small handful of Christmas songs that are covered over and over, Kelly highlights lesser known selections, too, and the sounds of balladry, Latin hymns, Irish folk songs, and a cappella moments, among other ideas, are present for the rich and festive occasion.
Travels well with: Hoodoo Gurus- Chariot Of The Gods; Paul Kelly- Nature