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 | ||||
| Released | October 12, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Vanguard | |||
| Producer | Peter Collins | |||
| Indigo Girls chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Holly Happy Days | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| 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
editThe 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
edit- "I Feel the Christmas Spirit" (Joe Isaacs)
- "It Really Is (A Wonderful Life)" (Chely Wright)
- "O Holy Night" (John S. Dwight)
- "Your Holiday Song" (Emily Saliers)
- "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (Buck Ram, Kim Gannon, Walter Kent)
- "Mistletoe" (Amy Ray)
- "Peace Child" (Shirley Murray/Bernadette Farrell)
- "The Wonder Song" (Amy Ray)
- "In the Bleak Midwinter" (Traditional)
- "Happy Joyous Hanukkah" (Woody Guthrie)
- "Angels We Have Heard on High" (Traditional)
- "There's Still My Joy" (Beth Nielsen Chapman, Melissa Manchester, Matt Rollings)
Personnel
edit- Indigo Girls
- Amy Ray – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin
- Emily Saliers – vocals, acoustic guitar, nylon string acoustic guitar, ukulele
- Additional musicians
- Luke Bulla – fiddle, mandolin, rhythm acoustic guitar
- Jim Brock – percussion, finger cymbals
- Alison Brown – banjo, piccolo banjo
- Brandi Carlile – guest vocals
- Victor Krauss – bass
- Mary Gauthier – guest vocals
- Janis Ian – guest vocals
- Carol Isaacs – accordion, piano, harmonium
- Lloyd Maines – pedal steel and dobro
- John Painter – electric guitar
- Don Saliers – piano
- Julie Wolf – guest vocals and additional vocal arrangement
- Production
- Peter Collins – production
- Denise Plumb – art design
- Trina Shoemaker – mixing
References
edit- ^ a b c Jurek, Thom. "Holly Happy Days Review". All Music Guide. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
- ^ Chianca, Peter (29 November 2010). "INTERVIEW: Peace and harmonies from Indigo Girls on holiday debut". Wicked Local. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
- ^ Langhoff, Josh (28 November 2010). "Indigo Girls: Holly Happy Days". Popmatters. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
- ^ Coleman, Nick (19 December 2010). "Album: Indigo Girls, Holly Happy Days (Vanguard)". The Independent. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
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