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HAVE A TWILLEY CHRISTMAS
(DMI)
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Power-pop cult hero Dwight Twilley has been a near-recluse for the past decade and a half, missing out on the after-the-fact acclaim that’s gone to his contemporaries, Big Star and the Raspberries. So it’s good to have any new music from him, even if it’s an eccentric holiday EP. Of the six tracks, the two essential ones were both recorded for an unreleased holiday single in the ’90s: "Christmas Love" and "Christmas Night" could easily have come from his classic period (namely, the Sincerely and Twilley Don’t Mind albums in the late ’70s). They represent a more soulful, Southern take on a British Invasion ballad sound, and the holiday theme proves a perfect handle for Twilley’s brand of romanticism. Recorded more recently, the other four tracks find his voice notably deeper and his songwriting a bit odder: there’s a novelty tune complete with children’s chorus, a number called "Rockabilly Christmas Ball" that sounds exactly like what you’d expect, and the mournful "Christmas Stars," which makes an odd choice to lead off the disc. And though Twilley has written few novelty songs in his career he closes the disc with a second one, "Christmas with the Martians" — whose chorus will stick with you all day, whether you want it to or not. Although not as indispensable as the seasonal discs by Chris Stamey and Graham Parker, this is a good bet for pop fiends with a sentimental side, and a teaser for Twilley’s upcoming new album. It’s available at digitalmusicworks.com.
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