1. Just Because It Was Christmas
2. Big Man Under the Tree
3. How to Make Gravy
4. Lullaby Child
5. This Silent Night
6. One Special Gift
7. Once Upon a Christmas
8. Christmas One More Time
9. Little Wrapped Gift
10. Santa's Last Stop
11. Happiest New Year
ARTIST SITE
CD BABY
There's no Yin without the Yang. And, if you're looking for an unadulterated celebration of seasonal joy--an unchecked sugar rush guaranteed to put you in a diabetic coma, "Just Because It Was Christmas" is not the album for you. But if you're looking for an original take on the holiday, an honest take, an album that's not afraid to bare it's soul complete, wear it's sadness right along side it's hope, this collection from Rough Shop deserves a listen.
Rough Shop is considered one of St. Louis' finest, offering up a Folk Rock sound that's sometimes reminiscent of the 70s Southern California sound of bands like Redwing. And there's no question that Andy Ploof and John Wendlend know how to write songs. This album features 8 originals and 3 uncommon covers, and the originals stand well, alone, as exquisite slices of life. Taken together, the album presents a journey to hell and back.
It all starts off promising enough, with the jangly guitars on the title track. But things quickly become a bit more sinister with the cross-dressing, pot smoking Santa in "Big Man Under The Tree". Paul Kelly's "How To Make Gravy" is covered wonderfully, but heartbreakingly. And the trio of songs that follow heap on the misery. By the time Anne Tkach was through singing Low's "One Special Gift," I was ready to slit my wrists.
Then the album seeks salvation and redemption, gradually climbing back up from the hopeless abyss, beginning with a terrific rock cover of Dolly Parton's "Once Upon A Christmas"--performed to perfection. "Christmas One More Time" is, in its Country Rock way, a microcosm of the album's journey--we don't know how we're going to make it through, but together, somehow, we will. "Little Wrapped Gift" is the only song on the album I'd call delightful. And "Santa's Last Stop" manages the balance of surface joy with underlying sadness as well as about any song I've heard since "I'll Be Home For Christmas" was new. The album comes to a hopeful, if philosophical, close. It is what it is; let's make the most of it.
This isn't an album overflowing with sleigh bells and Santa's elves. You can get that from Mariah Carey. This isn't a Manhattan holiday with twinkling lights; it's a heartland Christmas with work to be done and bills to be paid. If you're truly seeking out a different portrait--one that's willing to acknowledge that winter may be a wonderland, but it's also damn cold and sometimes bleak--then the honest artistry of Rough Shop's "Just Because It Was Christmas" is well worth seeking out. And, to whet your appetite, you can even download the first two tracks FREE from Rough Shop's music page.
2. Big Man Under the Tree
3. How to Make Gravy
4. Lullaby Child
5. This Silent Night
6. One Special Gift
7. Once Upon a Christmas
8. Christmas One More Time
9. Little Wrapped Gift
10. Santa's Last Stop
11. Happiest New Year
ARTIST SITE
CD BABY
There's no Yin without the Yang. And, if you're looking for an unadulterated celebration of seasonal joy--an unchecked sugar rush guaranteed to put you in a diabetic coma, "Just Because It Was Christmas" is not the album for you. But if you're looking for an original take on the holiday, an honest take, an album that's not afraid to bare it's soul complete, wear it's sadness right along side it's hope, this collection from Rough Shop deserves a listen.
Rough Shop is considered one of St. Louis' finest, offering up a Folk Rock sound that's sometimes reminiscent of the 70s Southern California sound of bands like Redwing. And there's no question that Andy Ploof and John Wendlend know how to write songs. This album features 8 originals and 3 uncommon covers, and the originals stand well, alone, as exquisite slices of life. Taken together, the album presents a journey to hell and back.
It all starts off promising enough, with the jangly guitars on the title track. But things quickly become a bit more sinister with the cross-dressing, pot smoking Santa in "Big Man Under The Tree". Paul Kelly's "How To Make Gravy" is covered wonderfully, but heartbreakingly. And the trio of songs that follow heap on the misery. By the time Anne Tkach was through singing Low's "One Special Gift," I was ready to slit my wrists.
Then the album seeks salvation and redemption, gradually climbing back up from the hopeless abyss, beginning with a terrific rock cover of Dolly Parton's "Once Upon A Christmas"--performed to perfection. "Christmas One More Time" is, in its Country Rock way, a microcosm of the album's journey--we don't know how we're going to make it through, but together, somehow, we will. "Little Wrapped Gift" is the only song on the album I'd call delightful. And "Santa's Last Stop" manages the balance of surface joy with underlying sadness as well as about any song I've heard since "I'll Be Home For Christmas" was new. The album comes to a hopeful, if philosophical, close. It is what it is; let's make the most of it.
This isn't an album overflowing with sleigh bells and Santa's elves. You can get that from Mariah Carey. This isn't a Manhattan holiday with twinkling lights; it's a heartland Christmas with work to be done and bills to be paid. If you're truly seeking out a different portrait--one that's willing to acknowledge that winter may be a wonderland, but it's also damn cold and sometimes bleak--then the honest artistry of Rough Shop's "Just Because It Was Christmas" is well worth seeking out. And, to whet your appetite, you can even download the first two tracks FREE from Rough Shop's music page.
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