[tps_title] 10. Pistol Annies, Hell of a Holiday [/tps_title]

Pistol Annies have released their first ever holiday record this year that is a deliciously real Christmas record, full of all the complications associated with the holiday for so many.

For those who think Fairytale of New York is the greatest Christmas track.

Read our full review here.

The post Our Top 10 Country Music Christmas Albums appeared first on off the record.

Country music trio Pistol Annies have released their collection of original holiday tunes on their first Christmas album, Hell of a Holiday, out now. Of the project the trio say, “We couldn’t be happier we got to make a Christmas Album. Once we finally surrendered and let the Christmas songwriting spirit take over, we were so inspired and felt that magic on every single one of these songs… We hope to be a part of so many people’s Christmas memories for years to come.”

Hell of a Holiday stands out from a roster of recent country music Christmas releases that centre around Christmas covers, bringing 10 original festival tracks written by the Annies with their signature winking humour, while also honouring the spirit of the season. Lyrically, the original tracks are clever, witty and refreshing. The title track conjures images of the hectic holiday whirlwind that arrives every 1^st November as does the surprisingly joyful ‘Make You Blue’, while ‘ Snow Globe’ dreams of a romantic winter wonderland, replete with whimsy and vintage charm. Similarly, ‘Harlan County Coal’ is a blue-collar Christmas sonic dream, delivered with a layer of grit as the trio sing of the hardworking required for normal families to bring Christmas to life and ‘Happy Birthday’ describes an all-too-familiar and comical cast of familial characters. ‘The Only Thing I Wanted’ offers a melancholic and wistful take on the familiar track ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You.’ Elsewhere, the trio tribute Santa himself on ‘Come on Christmas Time’ – a delightfully, lazily grooving and seductive modern-day Christmas classic – and return to the meaning of Christmas on the blues-y ‘Leanin’ on Jesus’ and ‘Believing.’ The project does also take on standard classics, including “Sleigh Ride,” and Merle Haggard’s “If We Make it Through December,” plus a reimagined “Auld Lang Syne” – but these merely round out the project.

Hell of a Holiday is a delightfully humble Christmas album that will make broad swathes of people feel seen – both in the joy of the season and the hardships that it also brings for so many. The trio’s vocals are born for this kind of nuanced, emotional project and are borne out to the full on this wonderfully rounded creation that stands apart as a brave new Christmas record – complete with some stunning new classics for the holiday season.

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The post ALBUM REVIEW: Hell of a Holiday – Pistol Annies appeared first on off the record.

Country music trio Pistol Annies will deck the halls with new original holiday tunes as their first Christmas album, Hell of a Holiday, arrives 22^nd October. Listen to the first release, “Snow Globe,” here.

“We couldn’t be happier we got to make a Christmas Album. Once we finally surrendered and let the Christmas songwriting spirit take over, we were so inspired and felt that magic on every single one of these songs,” said the trio’s Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley. “We hope to be a part of so many people’s Christmas memories for years to come.”

Full of new yuletide treats, Hell of a Holiday includes 10 festive original tracks written by the Annies with their signature winking humour, while also honouring the spirit of the season. The title track conjures images of the hectic holiday whirlwind that arrives every 1^st November, while “Snow Globe” dreams of a romantic winter wonderland. Elsewhere, a family of country-fried characters come to life, and there’s even a new ode to Santa himself.

The project also features their take on standards including “Sleigh Ride,” and Merle Haggard’s “If We Make it Through December,” plus a reimagined “Auld Lang Syne.” Photographer and artist Gina Binkley created the striking cover artwork.

This marks the fourth studio album for the trio, following their Grammy-nominated 2018 project Interstate Gospel. They recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of their Platinum-certified debut release “Hell on Heels,” the title track of their acclaimed first album.

HELL OF A HOLIDAY 
1. Hell of a Holiday (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
2. Snow Globe (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
3. Harlan County Coal (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
4. Come On Christmas Time (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
5. If We Make it Through December (Merle Haggard)
6. Make You Blue (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
7. Leanin’ on Jesus (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
8. The Only Thing I Wanted (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
9. Believing (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
10. Happy Birthday (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
11. Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson/Mitchell Parish)
12. Joy (Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)
13. Auld Lang Syne (Public Domain/Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley)

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