I would have been so upset with myself if I missed this one until after Christmas. This is the kind of stuff I want for my own head and that I can recommend to you without reservation. I'm going to get greedy and post the full EP stream. BUY IT! The only way you will be disappointed is if you don't.
I do not know what approach SHEL took to conceive "Winter Fairyland", but I suspect they found their inspiration in their own childhoods rather than records of Christmases past. "Winter Fairyland" is pure magic. It is as though the Spirit of Christmas flew through your window and sprinkled you with fairy dust and you are immediately, indeed, in a Christmas fairyland, surrounded by Christmas trees and Christmas lights, snow falling softly, shimmering like glitter, candy and cakes everywhere, mountains made of cotton candy, carousels and caliopes, images of Rankin-Bass stop-motion animation flashing before your eyes. And you never want the music or the magic to end.
SHEL's sound is not what I'd call retro in the least. Others might disagree with me, but I found it a thoroughly modern Indie sound. But it is lush and warm and full without being overcrowded with the noise of too many instruments trying too hard to sound like something else. I should quickly add that, hey, I like orchestras and Walls of Sound and retro, too. But this...this is something fresh and magical. It is a different path to that corner of your mind that houses your best memories of the season and, perhaps, less worn down from repeated trips, will get you there more quickly and restore the bright colors to those faded snapshots we carry inside us from Christmas to Christmas.
There is a bit of a surreal quality to SHEL. As much as anything, that comes from the ethereal backing harmonies mixed at just the right level to inspire a dream-like quality. It's heightened a bit by the arrangements, which display a special genius of knowing just what sound and how much of it is required at any given moment. But I really don't want to overthink it. I'm enjoying the ride far too much. Personal favorites, for me, were "I Know You're Real St. Nicholas" and "Toyland". "Toyland" was big around my house, growing up, and I've long been looking for a version that was just right (I can stop looking, now).
"Winter Fairyland" is one of those records that makes me wish I were a better writer. Do not let it slip by you. You can find "Winter Fairyland" CDs in SHEL's web store and digital downloads at Amazon and iTunes.