Christmas Album #2

#2

Last week we spoke about rare traditions and how They're Not Listening isn't your typical blog. Well this week's album is not your typical music album, let alone Christmas album. It's not everyday that a band headed by the second incarnation of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Black Ranger releases a Christmas album. A pat on the back to the first person to figure out which other Power Ranger has some type of musical career going on in their post ninja karate action careers.

Johnny Yong Bosch (lead vocals and rhythm guitar) heads Eyeshine, an "edge rock" group out of West Hills, California. The group self described "edge rock" as being on the edge of sounding like punk, alt rock or on the edge of sounding like (insert cool band here). Most of the time they say they're "on the edge of sounding good." Maurice Salmin (drums, backing vocals, piano), Crystal Mesina (bass, backing vocals) and Ji Ho "Daniel" Lee (lead guitar, backing vocals) round out the current lineup.

Xmas, the groups 7th studio album since 2008, is a digital only release. And can be found on iTunes, Amazon and Eyeshine's website www.Eyeshine.net.

Similar to She & Him's album (reviewed last week), the eight song album features all cover songs of classic Christmas songs and carols. However there is nothing soft, sweet and cute about any of these tracks.

Eyeshine's description of "edge rock" makes perfect sense when you hear them. They sound kind of like a lot of well known bands. For instance take We Wish You a Merry Christmas, the opening track on the album. It's like they kidnapped Jim Adkins from Jimmy Eat World and told him to compose, play guitar and do backing vocals on the track.

Or the albums third track, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. You didn't realize Billie Joe Armstrong was a featured artist on this album did you? Well he's not and nobody else from Green Day helped on this track either.

Eyeshine takes some risk, taking traditional Christmas songs and turning them into Alt Rock anthems. They succeed at what many groups before them fail to do, acknowledging that Christmas isn't about being bigger, louder and faster. Christmas is about something more.

They give each song a different feel than ever before, but don't get caught up in making every song sound like them. It's like listening to 8 different groups perform 8 different songs all arranged for the same instrumentation. Jingle Bells and Come All Ye Faithful are great examples of this but Eyeshine is at it's best on Joy To the World.

Xmas is a fresh "edgy" new take on classic songs with tremendous re-listen value. It's good for the whole family and it won't get boring like Twisted Sister's "A Twisted Christmas" or most other rock band Christmas albums for that matter. Not bad at all for a guy who spent his earlier years riding around on a Mastodon Dinozord.