Halley Neal and Sam Robbins open the album with one of the original songs, “Christmas Is Coming Soon,” which features Halley Neal on lead vocals. “It’s in the air, it’s in the air/It’s in the new-hung mistletoe/I feel it here, I feel it there/I feel it everywhere I go.” It’s a song about that feeling that comes with the holiday. When I was growing up, my parents would take my brother and me on drives to look at Christmas lights, and when we hit a block with no lights, we’d be shocked, disappointed, even a little upset, because we did feel it everywhere we went and expected it to be everywhere. This song recaptures and expresses that feeling, that expectation, and it includes some good work on pedal steel. “And though there’s so much left to do/Christmas, don’t come and go too soon.” That’s followed by a cover of Mel Tormé’s “The Christmas Song.” For this one, Sam Robbins sings lead on the first verse, Halley taking the second. They give us a pretty and gentle rendition. As it progresses, it builds in energy. To the line “To kids from one to ninety-two” they add “Or ninety-three,” for this album is dedicated to Sam’s grandfather, who was ninety-three when it was recorded.
I’ve said it before, but the absolute best holiday television special is A Charlie Brown Christmas, and a great deal of its lasting appeal comes from the music by Vince Guaraldi. Halley Neal and Sam Robbins deliver a really nice rendition of “Christmas Time Is Here,” the vocal version. They sing this one together, harmonizing on each line. This track features some sweet work on flugelhorn, in addition to pretty work on acoustic guitar. The song’s last lines, “Oh, that we could always see/Such spirit through the year,” stands out here. Those lines, repeated, are both hopeful and sad. Then we get another original composition, “Better This Way,” a pretty number. Check out its opening lines: “We don’t have any mistletoe/We don’t even have a tree/There’s no sense in going out now/It’s already Christmas Eve.” It’s about another year having passed, one of the bittersweet elements of the holiday, the way it really does mark another year passing. In this song they mention how it’s been a difficult year, something many people can relate to, but this song doesn’t dwell on past troubles; rather, it has a very positive bent. This track features some wonderful harmonizing, and is one of the album’s best. “Nothing to lose, and so much to gain.”
They then deliver one of the classic holiday songs, “Silver Bells,” another that is about the general vibe of the holiday, as they sing “In the air, there’s a feeling of Christmas.” Theirs is a beautiful, uplifting rendition, and it features some good work on keys. One of the most beautiful and moving songs of the season is Joni Mitchell’s “River,” and these guys do a wonderful job with it here, both delivering some of the album’s best vocal work. The pedal steel adds to the track’s emotional impact, and that flugelhorn part is excellent. In addition to that, this track contains some really nice work on drums. This is one of my personal favorite tracks. It is followed by “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” As Halley sings, “Please have snow and mistletoe/And presents by the tree,” we can hear the need in her voice. Sometimes we really need this holiday to be what it’s supposed to be. And what a gorgeous and moving delivery of the line, “If only in my dreams.” That leads straight into a cover of The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun.” It’s not a Christmas song, obviously, but its first line mentions winter: “Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter.” And coming out of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” we get the sense that it really was only in their dreams, but now finally things are turning around, getting better. What an interesting and effective combination of songs. And they go back into “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” and we find that it is still a matter of dreams. That pedal steel is so good, and there is a final nod to “Here Comes The Sun” on guitar at the end.
Halley Neal and Sam Robbins includes a cover of Peter, Paul And Mary’s “Light One Candle,” a Hanukkah song written by Peter Yarrow and included on Peter, Paul And Mary’s 1986 LP No Easy Walk To Freedom as well as A Holiday Celebration, which came out a couple of years later. “Light one candle for the strength that we need/To never become our own foe/And light one candle for those who are suffering/Pain we learned so long ago.” This is a more somber number, but it is ultimately a hopeful song, and these guys deliver a strong rendition. That’s followed by “Finally Christmas Time,” an original number. As the song begins, there is a call of “Merry Christmas” in the background, and the subtle sounds of celebration. “The air finally smells like snow,” Halley then sings. “Lights hung by the mistletoe/For the party, everyone’s invited/Oh, and it might be strange/For a person my age to be so excited.” This song is another that mentions the general feeling of the holiday: “I can feel it in the air.” There is a section near the end that is vocals and percussion, which I love, and that last section in particular seems designed to raise our spirits. And at the very end, there are sounds of celebration. Halley Neal and Sam Robbins then give us a cover of The Carpenters’ “Merry Christmas Darling,” which was released as a single in 1970. “But every day’s a holiday when I’m near to you.”
“New Year” is an original song. Halley Neal begins this one: “The New Year has a way of changing/When people want to stay the same/But don’t you worry about wasting/You don’t have to play the game.” Then Sam comes in: “Realistic resolutions/Call your family when you can/Reason with your expectations/Don’t make up a brand new plan.” And Halley adds, “Unless you want to,” a rather adorable moment. This is an interesting and compelling song. “Sometimes all that we need is a little love/‘Cause what we don’t know/Is that even though/We’re out here on our own/We’re already on our way home.” That’s followed by “My Favorite Things.” This is another song that is not specifically a Christmas song, but it does mention “warm woolen mittens” and “sleigh bells” and “snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes.” I’ve never seen The Sound Of Music, but I often hear songs from that musical, especially this one. It’s not one of my favorite songs, but this is one of the best renditions I’ve heard (possibly the very best). I love the way they approach it. This track has given me a fresh appreciation of the song, of what it can be. If I had heard this version first, I might have loved this song all along. It’s beautiful and powerful, and Halley Neal’s vocals are excellent.
Halley Neal and Sam Robbins deliver a rather cheerful rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” That worth on acoustic guitar and that rhythm make me believe them when they sing, “From now on, our troubles will be miles away.” They use the “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough” line instead of the original “Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow,” but because of the track’s overall tone, that line actually seems appropriate here (though I still do prefer the original line). This track features wonderful work on both pedal steel and piano. I especially love the piano at the end. That’s followed by one of my favorite classic holiday songs, “Silent Night,” and they deliver a gorgeous rendition. The album then concludes with its title track, “You And Me On Christmas Eve,” an original composition. “The streets are a little emptier this time of year,” Halley sings at the beginning of this one, and though she’s not likely singing about Los Angeles, that line is true of this city, for a lot of folks leave town for the holiday. “They tell me it’s the most wonderful season/So I go to parties for people I don’t even know/But when I’m walking home, I get this feeling/That suddenly you’re all I need, it’s all so clear/It’s you and me on Christmas Eve this year.” Yes, being with that one special person is often all we need, on the holiday, or any day for that matter.
CD Track List
- Christmas Is Coming Soon
- The Christmas Song
- Christmas Time Is Here
- Better This Way
- Silver Bells
- River
- I’ll Be Home For Christmas
- Here Comes The Sun
- I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Reprise)
- Light One Candle
- Finally Christmas Time
- Merry Christmas Darling
- New Year
- My Favorite Things
- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
- Silent Night
- You And Me On Christmas Eve
You & Me On
Christmas Eve was released on November 24, 2023.
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