Never failing to be quirky and eccentric,
Brave Combo has a very unorthodox Christmas album in
It's Christmas, Man! Many of the songs are familiar, but what the foursome does with them definitely isn't. When was the last time you heard a ska version of
Mel Tormé's "The Christmas Song," an Afro-Cuban take on "The Little Drummer Boy" or a samba version of "O, Christmas Tree?" And the impressive thing is that
Brave Combo's off-center ideas (whether applied to original or familiar material) usually work. Very global in its outlook, the
Combo combines American rock and R&B with everything from German polka to Mexican ranchero and Colombian cumbia, and, most of the time, manages to pull it off. If you want to hear a Christmas album that takes more than its share of chances, this CD would be a fine choice. ~ Alex Henderson