There are Christmas albums, and then there are Tom Mason Christmas albums.
Tom Mason has two different musical careers. He has released seven albums of what can best be called rocking sea shanties with his band The Blue Buccaneers and three solo albums of Christmas music, which fall into the Americana and rock categories.
The 2020 holiday season finds Mason releasing Under A Mistletoe Sky. It is a very different celebration of the holiday season. There are no hymns or traditional Christmas songs. Rather, there are ten original tunes that will make you smile and approach the spirit of the season from a different direction.
The title track is an up-tempo light rock/blues song. It is a smooth track that benefits from the additional vocals of Sheila Lawrence. “Christmas Boogaloo” is more soulful and serious as it plays off the summer unrest in our country while incorporating rhythms of the 1960s.
“Little Elvis, King Of The Elves” is a goofy tale that works in rockabilly form. Not many Christmas albums have a song that deals with climate change at the North Pole, but so it is with “Santa Says Keep It Cool.”
Possibly the best song is the album-closing “Christmas In Love,” complete with harmony vocals and understated slide guitar.
Mason is one of those effortless guitar players who can carry virtually every style of song. Throughout the album, he plays the melodies without intruding on the spirit of the music.
Under A Mistletoe Sky is not an album that creates the feelings of solemnity of Christmas Eve. It is more music for the fun of opening Christmas presents on Christmas morning or sharing some Christmas drinks. So, if you are looking for music for a different type of holiday celebration, then this is an album for you.
