never mind the baubles……

This is the annual Small Bear festive gathering which we will revisit in full via missives to come though not before a brief mention for three (okay four because we are greedy) carefully opened selections from the advent track listing. Entitled (cleverly I should add) ‘never mind the baubles here’s the small bear Christmas compilation’ (replete with mock Pistols sleeve) we’ve been quick to pick up the assorted seasonal soirees from familiar friends The Bordellos and Schizo Fun Addict (who should shortly be releasing a long promised split cassette – dare say we’ll get word on that the minute this is posted). Anyway sneak in with the playful ‘Christmas Mantra’ which as the title hints is just that, festive felicitations of love and peace set to a decidedly crooked lo-fi wooziness of chiming bells, drum machines, snowy shimmers, ghostly samples from ‘miracle on 34^th street’, toytronics and some deliciously misty eyed post rockian noodling which all gather to coalesce into something trimmed in the kind of off centred kookiness you’d imagine escaping from the Freed Unit bunker though not before those imps the Cuban Boys had decorated it. As to the Bordellos, my my do I detect a grudge forming on the irreverent ‘happy Christmas (Alan McGee is an arse)’ – aligned to a seriously skewiff lo-fi psych beaten groove which baiting aside St Helens’ most famous snarl and sneer their way through 137 seconds of blanket bombing flat lining fuzz gouged snowball lobbing in the general direction of the former Creation head honcho all bookended by a choir boy reprise which we around here feel might just catch on this coming season time. Matt Bouvier steps in with the cheerfully uncheerful ‘Santa give me something to live for’ which once done with the bleary eyed opening tracing of bruised twinkles soon rears up close and personal like the onset of Santa’s reindeers over the hill to rip up the blues with a storming anthem charge that very much veers into festive territories you’d imagine would be found frequenting the grooves of a Wedding Present Christmas album. Previously unknown to us Harmony Dischord do some neat Dr Feelgood shenanigans on ‘ghosts’ and festoon the event with some superbly strutting power pop throbbed subtle glam. Does it for us – as said there will more in future write ups.  https://nevermindthebaubles.bandcamp.com/releases