A Peace of Us, Dean & Britta's new holiday album with Spacemen 3's Sonic Boom, has all the charm of a classic holiday album and all the excitement of a future modern favorite. Dean & Britta's coexisting voices come together like two intertwined strands of tinsel and Sonic Boom's production adds much holiday flare to a repeatedly enjoyable listen.
A Peace of Us, the new album from Dean & Britta & Sonic Boom, is one of those records that sounds new and fresh but also classically old at the same time. Dean & Britta are a musical duo consisting of Galaxie 500 member Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips, together being members of the project Luna before changing to simply Dean & Britta. Seeing this new record being labeled under Dean & Britta & Sonic Boom, I initially had no idea who Dean & Britta are, but I do know who Sonic Boom is. Peter Kember, aka Sonic Boom, is mostly well known as being a pivotal member of psych rock Spacemen 3 back in the 80's/90's next to other pivotal member Jason Pierce, whose band Spiritualized are still going strong (they also released my favorite album of 2022). Kember released a solid solo album All Things Being Equal back in 2020. But in recent years, Sonic Boom has been more notable as a producer himself, producing such albums as MGMT's second album Congratulations (my favorite MGMT album, hot take), Beach House's 7, and Animal Collective member Panda Bear's Tomboy and Grim Reaper records as well as his collaborative record Reset with Panda Bear (a recent favorite of mine that I just can't stop loving and loving).
This isn't the first time these three have made music together. Kember has been collaborating with Dean & Britta in the past, even remixing the duo's debut album back in 2003. All these years later and just in time for the holidays, the three have come together to release the cleverly titled A Peace of Us, a holiday album. A Peace of Us isn't just a holiday album mostly full of covers and some originals (to my knowledge). On paper, it seems very much so but when you actually listen to it, it sounds so much more than that. It sounds exciting and new but it also sounds like revisiting an old, classic record you've rediscovered at your parents' house. It has all the charm of a classic holiday album and all the excitement of a future modern favorite. It sounds so repeatedly enjoyable when listening to Dean & Britta's vocals intertwine with one another like that of the album's intricate (and awesome) artwork and Kember's production and mixing highlights their vocals in a warm, comfortable manner. Even when Kember's low registered vocals come in on tracks like their unexpected cover of Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper," it sounds so smooth and natural in execution that you would've thought it was their original song. The song's looping, hypnotic electronics are a stark contrast to the original's acoustics, but it fits right into Kember's wheelhouse. His style in recent years includes very much these looping, repeating electronics that are typically minimal but when they're heavily layered on top of one another, they can quickly become complex and detailed, dizzying and disorienting. Kember's stylings aren't for everyone. They can result in being a bit annoying sometimes (I'll admit) but his psychedelic production (this time, more toned down than usual) is quite perfect for backing Dean & Britta's vocals and sharp guitar work.
At fourteen songs and fifty minutes in length, it sounds like a lot to sift through for a holiday album but to be honest, its pretty welcoming. There's much variety here, ranging from the likes of traditional favorites ("Little Drummer Boy," "Little Altar Boy," "Happy Xmas") to some modern day, soon to be favorites like the late David Berman's "Snow Is Falling In Manhattan," which is an excellent album highlight. Their cover of "Do You Know How Trees Are Grown?," Sam Russell and Irvin Hunt's 1969 single, is very pleasant and dreamy, especially when Britta's register floats into a heavenly register. Their German rendition of "Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht") is eerily beautiful and skeletal and "Silver Snowflakes" is a traditional, straightforward if not pretty folk song. Their rendition of Bing Crosby and David Bowie's unique duet of "Peace on Earth" and "Little Drummer Boy" is an interesting choice to cover that goes over nicely. "Snow Is Falling In Manhattan," like I mentioned before, is a favorite and although it is a pretty unconventional choice for a holiday song, it works so well for these three musicians. Some songs go for a twangy, more classic country sound on the jangly "He's Coming Home" and the banjo-fronted "If We Make It Through December" and Britta's vocals become perfectly fit for them. Some sound more like Sonic Boom tracks like the chilly ambience of "Snow," the groovy synths on "Pretty Paper" or the chirpy, chimey electronics on "Old Toy Trains." John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is arguably one of the best Christmas songs on the planet and their rendition of it is very pretty, cheery, and charming. Including it as the album's final track makes the album finish in ultimate, climactic fashion.
Holiday albums come and go and, let's be honest with ourselves, it's very hard to make a new one that's memorable, fresh, and keeps you coming back with repeated listens. A Peace of Us is one of those rare occasions, a record that's so repeatedly enjoyable, I could see myself listening to this outside of the holiday season and return to time and time again. It's that uniquely charming and universally accessible to me. Dean & Britta's coexisting voices come together like two intertwined strands of tinsel and Sonic Boom's production adds much holiday flare. I love Sonic Boom's signature touch on records in recent years. They truly add a lot of flavor and seasoning to already great albums and A Peace of Us is a prime example of this. I'll declare it: A Peace of Us is a modern day holiday classic that should satisfy fans and welcome those both young and old who are looking to find all the emotions of the holidays wrapped in one neat little bow: loneliness, joy, heartbreak, cheer, and togetherness... and don't forget about good ole Santa Claus.
My Rating: 8 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Snow Is Falling In Manhattan," "Pretty Paper," "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," "Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown?," "He's Coming Home," "If We Make It Through December," "You're All I Want for Christmas"
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