antiMusic.com: Seabird - Over The Hills And Everywhere: A Christmas EP Review

Seabird - Over The Hills And Everywhere: A Christmas EP
by Dan MacIntosh

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When artists decide to record a holiday-themed album, they must sometimes make a few hard decisions. For example, do they want to make old-fashioned Christmas music, or would they like to leave a unique sonic imprint on the genre? If they make something too traditional, they risk boring their listeners. But if they stretch out too much, they may alienate folks expecting something both comforting and familiar. With this new EP, Seabird has clearly gone for the latter approach.

If we didn't know better, we might have assumed Seabird received the lyrics to seven popular Christmas songs having never first heard any of the melodies. That's because every melody is different � that's seven out of seven, if you're keeping score at home. The disc begins with a folk-driven "Angels We Have Heard On High", and ends with the driving beat of "What Child Is This?", which may make you ask, "What song is this?"

The best track on this deconstructed and reconstructed collection of songs is "Silent Night", which has a propulsive groove akin to Switchfoot. And like the six other holiday favorites contained within, this song carries with it a serious spiritual message. There are no Christmas Tree or Santa Claus references to be found anywhere; this is all about the baby Jesus and his birth.

This mini-release is perfect for anyone that loves say, Coldplay and The Fray, but isn't quite ready for a full play list of Christmas songs. Think of it as a carol prep course, if you will.

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Seabird - Over The Hills And Everywhere: A Christmas EP
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