Finally, it’s Christmas, and not a moment too soon. 20 years after the release of Snowed In, Tulsa, Oklahoma power trio the Hanson brothers Zac (drums), Taylor (keyboards) and Isaac (guitars), with help from Andrew Perusi on bass, return with their first new album of seasonal fare since 1997. Expertly produced, arranged and recorded by sound engineer C.J. Eiriksson and long-time Ringo Starr collaborator Mark Hudson, Finally It’s Christmas is a fresh new addition to the holiday canon, its intricate layers of vocal harmony and keyboard flares reminiscent of the Queen inspired masterworks from early ‘90’s Jellyfish. One could even go so far as to say that if Jellyfish had made a Christmas album back in the ‘90’s it might very well have sounded a lot like this. In addition to contributing much of their own original material to the project Hanson manage to put a whole new spin on contemporary Christmas classics reenergizing Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas with an R&B infused rock ‘n’ roll sensibility as well as reimagining Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime, Charles Brown’s Please Come Home For Christmas and the Motown classic Someday At Christmas. 25 years into a successful music career Hanson have navigated the murky waters of childhood superstardom and fame with grace and charm, maturing into the seasoned music professionals they are today. A rock steady effort from a true class act Finally It’s Christmas holds the promise of what is surely on the horizon for these three talented men. To be continued…
Rating: 7.5/10