Friday, 22 November 2019

Björn Again - Christmas Is


33 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy Christmas Is here

Two thoughts sprung to mind when I saw Christmas Is, the new festive EP from the ace ABBA-loving quartet Björn Again: firstly, how it has been far too long since I played their twinkling Erasure-ish single; and secondly how in the endless wait for the long promised, much ballyhooed new songs from ABBA themselves that this four track EP is more than enough to keep me cheerful in the meantime. They've teamed up with Steve Anderson, a man who is as in love with Christmas as I am and is surely in a constant audition to be the next Santa Claus such is musical dedication to the songs of the season. With some exquisitely chosen cover versions as well as a sparkling new song, the fab foursome have put a little pep in your Christmas playlist ensuring this will make you glad from head to (mistle)toe year after year after year. And you can't ask for a greater gift than that...

The album opens with Keeping The Dream Alive. The Freiheit classic was a permanent fixture in the UK Christmas charts of 1988 - and although it peaked at a respectable number fourteen, it has since become a classic that makes it feel like it was a much bigger hit. Like all non-seasonal songs which achieve success at Christmas it is the theme of the lyrics that make this ideal for the holidays. Björn Again capture the optimism and hope of the words with their beautifully textured vocals and chiming instrumental that gets more layered and intricate as the song progresses. They balance the melancholy with possibility in just the right way. You get the sense the story is channelled through their own experiences of 30 years in the business - and that personal insight makes this new version shine bright like a diamond. Underneath The Tree is absolutely the band keeping the dream alive; a chugging rock'n'roll style instrumental makes you want to kick up your heels with gay abandon and twirl along to this vibrant score. The vocalists imbue their performance with so much glee that it would be enough magic to power Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. Clever additions make this a cheeky thrill - the backing vocals in the second verse, the shuddering horn in the bridge and that key change makes this an exhilarating romp.

The group then deliver a killer(s) version of Human. The dancing piano of the intro lets the ladies harmonies take the spotlight, a focus that never fades throughout the song. The piano soon emerges like a butterfly into a playful chord riff whilst disco drenched synths swirl around the music like the first snow of the season. It is transformed into a contemporary pop hymn and their sermon is one that gives you shivers of ecstasy that such luminous fun still exists in this world of ours. If you are flinging your arms to the heavens and singing along with nary a care then you absolutely won't be alone. The next song is a brand new composition and stands shoulder to shoulder with the evergreens which precede it. Love's Not Just For Christmas has such ebullient charm baked into each that one listen will never be enough. It is as exciting as if you had just heard Santa and the reindeer land on your very own roof. It is an instant, convivial sing along which sends your endorphins rushing to your brain. Images of wintry wonderlands, chestnuts roasting on open fires and jingle hops that have finally begun dance through your peripheral vision as the music casts an enchanting spell on you that makes you want to grab the one you love and shimmy. It is every vibrant Christmas song you've ever heard - and more. Kick up your heels and keep the love of the season with you all year.



**Ghosts of Christmas Past**
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