I Love Santa

I Love Santa is an all-out celebration of Christmas at its most indulgent, chocolate-filled, and tinsel-laden, all the way from the silky rendition of "It's a Marshmallow World" right down to the Christmas pudding recipe tucked inside the jewel case. This is Kim Stockwood's first solo effort in seven years, and she dolls up holiday standards like "Silver Bells" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with the same sass and brass found on her previous albums. It isn't all bright and bouncy stuff; the mischievousness gives way to some poignant moments on the sepia-tinted "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and the earthy, lingering "Silent Night" (which features appearances by Stockwood's fellow Shaye members Damhnait Doyle and Tara MacLean). Stockwood wrote a couple new songs for I Love Santa. "Home This Christmas," co-written with Tim Bovaconti, is an ambling, bluesy homage to Stockwood's native Newfoundland, and the title track, penned just before the album went to print, is a jaunty ode to jolly old Saint Nick. These new songs rely on some pretty worn Christmas clichés, but what do you expect? This is harmless holiday fare, something that comes with the terrain of overcrowded shopping malls, flying reindeer, and fruitcake. Stockwood's unabashed, crinkle-nosed holiday cheer might send some Grinches running for the hills, but for everyone else (Stockwood fans especially) I Love Santa is a harmless holiday confection.