Holly Happy Days is the 12th studio album and first holiday album by Indigo Girls, released on October 12, 2010 by Vanguard Records. It is their third album on the IGR/Vanguard imprint.[1]

Holly Happy Days
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 12, 2010
Recorded2010
GenreFolk rock
LanguageEnglish
LabelVanguard
ProducerPeter Collins
Indigo Girls chronology
Poseidon and the Bitter Bug
(2009)
Holly Happy Days
(2010)
Beauty Queen Sister
(2011)
Singles from Holly Happy Days
  1. "It Really Is (A Wonderful Life)"
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
The Independent(favorable) link
The Music Box link
PopMatters link

The album contains nine standards and three originals. Their arrangements are mostly acoustic, with bluegrass music influence.[1] The Indigo Girls chose songs from several holiday traditions, such as Woody Guthrie's Hanukkah track "Happy Joyous Hanukkah," and traditional Christmas hymns like "Angels We Have Heard on High" -- arranged for guitar and mandolin in what the group called a Baroque-inspired style. Other tracks, like "Your Holiday Song," were written to include all faiths.[2]

Critical reception

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The album was praised by reviewers for outlets including PopMatters,[3] The Independent,[4] and All Music Guide, which called the album "an enjoyable, somewhat offbeat, and fresh take on the holiday album."[1]

Track listing

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  1. "I Feel the Christmas Spirit" (Joe Isaacs)
  2. "It Really Is (A Wonderful Life)" (Chely Wright)
  3. "O Holy Night" (John S. Dwight)
  4. "Your Holiday Song" (Emily Saliers)
  5. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (Buck Ram, Kim Gannon, Walter Kent)
  6. "Mistletoe" (Amy Ray)
  7. "Peace Child" (Shirley Murray/Bernadette Farrell)
  8. "The Wonder Song" (Amy Ray)
  9. "In the Bleak Midwinter" (Traditional)
  10. "Happy Joyous Hanukkah" (Woody Guthrie)
  11. "Angels We Have Heard on High" (Traditional)
  12. "There's Still My Joy" (Beth Nielsen Chapman, Melissa Manchester, Matt Rollings)

Personnel

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Indigo Girls
  • Amy Ray – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin
  • Emily Saliers – vocals, acoustic guitar, nylon string acoustic guitar, ukulele
Additional musicians
Production

References

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  1. ^ a b c Jurek, Thom. "Holly Happy Days Review". All Music Guide. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  2. ^ Chianca, Peter (29 November 2010). "INTERVIEW: Peace and harmonies from Indigo Girls on holiday debut". Wicked Local. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  3. ^ Langhoff, Josh (28 November 2010). "Indigo Girls: Holly Happy Days". Popmatters. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  4. ^ Coleman, Nick (19 December 2010). "Album: Indigo Girls, Holly Happy Days (Vanguard)". The Independent. Retrieved 26 March 2023.