Music Reviews

Album Review: Relient K – ‘Let it Snow, Baby…Let it Reindeer’

By Jeff Swindoll Dec 13, 2007, 22:29 GMT

The punnily-titled Let It Snow Baby… Let It Reindeer has much to offer fans of the band as well as listeners in search of an untraditional approach to Christmas music. Much of the material here was already released as their first holiday outing, 2003\'s Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand. Those ten tunes were a fun, indie spin on yuletide tunes by the feisty new kings of Christian pop-punk. Appended ...more

Relient K is a Christian band so it will probably come as no surprise that they’ve done a Christmas album.  The band consists of Matt Thiessen (vocals, guitar, piano), Matt Hoopes (lead guitar), Dave Douglas (drums), John Warne (bass), Jon Schneck (guitar), and a ghost of Christmas past appearance by former member Brian Pittman (bass). 

The reason I put in that last bit is that this new album is somewhat of a re-release of the band’s first Christmas album ‘Deck the Halls, Bruise your Hand (2003).’  Ten of the songs appear on that album, but they’ve added seven new songs and a hidden track (keep listening after the last listed track for “Good King Wenceslas”). 

They’ve reworked “Auld Lang Syne” for this album as well.  The first two are holiday classics (“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Sleigh Ride”), some newly written songs (“Merry Christmas, Here’s to Many More,” “In Like a Lion (Always Winter),” and “Boxing Day”), and a funny version of “I’m Getting’ Nuttin’ for Christmas.”

You don’t have to be of a particular faith to appreciate the holly, jolly Christmas songs (well, unless you sulk around growling at those that say Merry Christmas) and the band does a grand job with the songs.