CHRISTMAS THROUGH YOUR EYES

The last few weeks leading up to Christmas has always stood as rather testing times for me as a music lover. Wherever you turn and wherever you go, one track more syrupy and cliched than the other are blarting out of loudspeakers, radios and televisions constantly - too many of which tell embarrasing stories relatdsed to the Coca Cola trademarked Santa Claus where the only aspect more horrible than the dreadful lyrics are the truly horrible music.

True enough, there is good Christmas music out there. But much too often it's the cliches that rule, and to get salvation and relief from the horror of it all I'll find my copy of Kevin "Bloody" Wilson's Christmas album for a laugh and some comic relief at the genre.

Cue Paul Cusick.

Progressive artists making Christmas songs have in most cases been among the better ones. And while I personally have always had a soft spot for Jethro Tull's excursions in the field, Cusick's take isn't too shabby either.

Mellow singer/songwriter material with symphonic embellishments, pretty neatly done, and with some darker and thankfully non-jolly tendencies in the second half. Not the most convincing of tunes as far as I'm concerned, but leaps and bounds better than 99% of what shops, the radio and TV torture us with in these last weeks leading up to Christmas.

All in all a well made effort, and a good alternative for a Christmas song with Christmas spirit.