Socks＜Picture Vinyl＞

One of the more ingeniously titled holiday albums you'll run across, JD McPherson's Socks is a jubilantly rockin' production, rife with humor and the Oklahoma-born singer's knack for old-school '50s R&B. For McPherson fans, and anyone familiar with his 2010 flagship single "North Side Gal," Socks will be a pleasant yuletide surprise. While the album certainly evokes the tinsel and Tin Pan Alley vibe of Christmas' pop music past, there isn't a standard to be found here. Instead, McPherson has conceived an all-original album put together with as much care and attention as he applies to his main, non-holiday-related releases. Joining him is his longtime backing ensemble featuring bassist Jimmy Sutton, keyboardist Raynier Jacob Jacildo, drummer Jason Smay, and saxophonist/guitarist Doug Corcoran. Together, they dive headlong into a set of foot-tapping anthems like "All the Gifts I Need" and the McPherson/Nicole Atkins co-write "Every Single Christmas," that wouldn't sound out of place blasting out of a 1949 Mercury, or a turntable next to a flamingo pink Christmas tree. With his highly resonant voice and talent for writing snappy, hook-filled songs, McPherson is always the focal point of his albums, but he wouldn't be such a fully realized performer on record if not for his band. So it's nice to see that he has written many of these songs with his bandmates, including pairing with Corcoran on the Louis Jordan jumper "Hey Skinny Santa," teaming with Smay on the Sun Studios-perfect "Santa's Got a Mean Machine," and collaborating with Jacildo on the cheeky "Holly, Carol, Candy & Joy." Elsewhere, he strikes a tone of cheerful novelty, snuggling into the Elvis-in-Hawaii-sounding "Ugly Sweater Blues" and duetting with Lucie Silvas on the saucy, stroll-ready "Claus vs. Claus." Socks is a durable holiday gift, but one that's immensely more fun and enjoyable than its wry title implies. ~ Matt Collar