Josh Rouse The Holiday Sounds of Josh Rouse LP + Bonus 12" (Red Vinyl)

Josh Rouse has recorded an album of original holiday songs, which all feel like a classic 60s jazz-influenced holiday album (think Vince Guaraldi, A Charlie Brown Christmas). This music should appeal to two audiences: Josh Rouse fans and holiday music fans.

The Holiday Sounds of Josh Rouse features beautiful harmonies and gentle, bright melodies wrapped in the lush, folk/pop soundscapes that have become his signature. The album illustrates themes of childhood nostalgia and holidays spent away from home, with lighthearted, upbeat instrumentals that make these songs enjoyable year-round. From the rollicking "Sleigh Brother Bill" to the reflective "Letters In The Mailbox" and the dreamy closing track, "Christmas Songs", Josh Rouse is redefining what holiday music can be. The album is produced by Brad Jones and Josh Rouse.

The First Edition release, on red vinyl, includes a bonus LP featuring 3 Christmas classics performed acoustically + 3 demo versions of songs from the album.

Full of pure sentiments, from nostalgia and mirth to melancholy and heartbreak, Josh Rouse's holiday album is too cool for Yule. Including nine original tunes written over several years, Rouse's decision to mostly avoid typically wintry sounds gives him the freedom to approach the holidays with his personal style. Emphasizing acoustic, or barely electric, arrangements, the band - including returning producer and keyboardist Brad Jones, bassist James Haggerty and musician-brothers Marc and Joe Pisapia - is as nimble as Santa's helpers. Opener 'Mediterranean X-Mas' has its roots in Rouse's many years in Spain, while 'Letters in the Mailbox' is a Chris Isaak-style lament. 'Lights of Town' quotes the 'Baby Just Cares for Me' bass and piano and feels, along with several other songs and the cover art, like something from the first few seasons of 'Mad Men.' 'Easy Man' is about enjoying domestic bliss without quite slipping into docility, while 'Heartbreak Holiday' is a chirpy take about getting dumped. The songs here sound like they could have been included on any of Rouse's excellent 'regular' releases. It's what makes them so enjoyable and fitting for many occasions.