Music Reviews
The Boxmasters

The Boxmasters

Christmas Cheer

Saw Mill Records/Vanguard

The Boxmasters are not your ordinary old-school country revivalists. Their self-titled debut, released earlier this year, proved that with songs like “The Poor House” and lyrics like “I’ll give you a ring/ When you give me back my balls.” Now Billy Bob Thornton and his trio are back with a holiday album, Christmas Cheer, that is mostly covers of other Christmas songs, but peppered with three tunes written by the band; and they are not your typical feel-good holiday tunes.

Opener “My Dreams of Christmas” chronicles what Christmas is like in a low-income home with an alcoholic and abusive father. “I asked daddy why [mommy]/ Always bumps into the door/ He said that she was nervous/ Not to bother him no more.” It also takes on the heartbreak of being a child and not having a Christmas. “[They] bragged on what a good little boy that I had been/ They said we did our best to give you a Christmas Day/ But you got screwed by Santa Claus again.”

The other two originals are not that depressing, but they are not happy-go-lucky either. “Slower Than Christmas” goes through a Christmas Day with “a hundred ignorant cousins,” while “I Won’t Be Home For Christmas” gives a grim depiction of what Christmas would be like in prison.

Not everything is dour, however. They do a killer rockabilly version of “We Three Kings.” They also do great covers of “Blue Christmas” and John Lennon’s “Happy X-Mas (War is Over).”

Christmas Cheer by The Boxmasters is actually a great old-school Christmas record. Yes, the originals are depressing, but their point is to give a little perspective on Christmas for those that tend to be forgotten. I think they nailed the point home. Throw in some great versions of classic Christmas songs, and you have a 32-minute holiday treat.

The Boxmasters: http://www.theboxmasters.com


Recently on Ink 19...

C.L. Turner of Arctic Wave

C.L. Turner of Arctic Wave

Interviews

Ink 19’s Randy Radic spoke with C.L. Turner of the band Arctic Wave to discuss the latest single, inspirations, and next directions.

Featured image courtesy of Present PR

Wand

Wand

Music Reviews

“Help Desk”/”Goldfish” EP (Drag City). Review by Peter Lindblad.