If you enjoyed the recent 'Nursery Rhymes' LP by Bill Wells & Friends (as featured here) and have room in your heart for something of a similar style, but festive in nature - look no further. In 2012, Bill, in collaboration with members of Francois and the Atlas Mountains, The One Ensemble and Golden Grrrls, together working under the misleading moniker of The National Jazz Trio Of Scotland (there are 5 of 'em and it ain't really jazz), released 'Christmas Album'. 'Like 'Nursery Rhymes', 'Christmas Album' is produced by Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake and the two records share a similarly dark and haunting tone. Familiar tunes are disassembled, keys are changed, time signatures are tinkered with and the result is a beautiful collection that is less joyful and triumphant and more bleak mid-Winter. Here's a selection to demonstrate what I'm trying to get at. Check out the whole of this excellent LP here.
