ALBUM REVIEW: Snow Days – The Ohio City Singers
November is the month where Christmas truly starts. As soon as October ends, you can’t escape the Christmas adverts on the TV or the music that floods shopping centres. Which is why it makes sense for THE OHIO CITY SINGERS to release their second album, Snow Days, when they are. The nine-piece band from Cleveland, Ohio were born out of a Christmas party that happened in 2008 and since then they have established themselves as a fixture of the Christmas season by performing a series of annual, high-energy shows. And thankfully, their Christmas album avoids falling into the pitfalls of many others.
You’d have to be the biggest Scrooge to not like this album. From the start of OCS Fight Song, the cheerful liveliness of the band bleeds through the speakers. They don’t quite fit into one box; they bring everything from a saxophone to a mandolin on this album, and there is even a guitar solo on the opening song. The band are clearly passionate about what they are doing, and the title track is one that will appeal to both young and old because of its upbeat yet simplistic approach. Backed by a guitar, the vocals are the shining star of this song as the band members play off each other.
Holiday Heartbreaker is a surprisingly upbeat song that has melancholic lyrics about the breakdown of a relationship during the holiday season. However, the music is so cheerful, you can’t help but get up and dance. In fact, the entire album is one that you can dance to. Whether it is the sing-along of One Day Closer or the sweet ode to love of Snow Angel, this album has something for everyone. The pacing of it is just right at 12 tracks; each song has its own individual voice, such as the country-esque Haven’t Said Goodbye To Christmas, and there is something for everyone here.
The only real issue with this record is that it has a couple of songs at the start, namely Down My Chimney Tonight and Make Believe just fall a little flat – mainly because they sound musically similar to Holiday Heartbreaker, which ends up meaning that the three songs all kind of feel like one long one.
But overall, Snow Days is a fun Christmas album that is fast-paced, enjoyable and one for all the family. THE OHIO CITY SINGERS sound great together, and it is clear that this is a passion project for them. The musical styles of each song are different, and yet they work well together as an album; there are slow, fast and mid-paced songs, and while a couple might be a touch one-note, most of the record showcases some individuality in every track. If you’re looking for a fresh take on a Christmas album with a song for everyone, then Snow Days is the one for you.
Rating: 9/10
Snow Days is set for release on November 17th via Hoboville.
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