At first glance, a choral band releasing a Christmas album is about as rock and roll as Pat Boone, but Anuna's "Christmas Memories" is the essence of what rock and roll is all about - innovative, counter-culture, and fresh.
Who else is out there singing choral music right now? Applying those spine-tingling harmonies to the sacred songs of the season is a stroke of artistic and commercial genius.
Speaking of commerce, the band's brilliance extends beyond their penchant for arrangement. They have skipped the traditional, dying big record company model in favor of cutting exclusive deals with PBS and Border's Books and Music.
With places like Tower Records closing, big booksellers seem to be the last place to hold a CD in your hand if your tastes extend beyond the one-dimensional fodder of Top 20 radio. Singing in bookstores where music lovers buy books-what a novel concept!
"Christmas Memories," like most Anuna releases, is virtually critic proof. With surgical precision, 16 unique voices converge in lockstep with one another to create a sound that can assume the softness of hummingbird wings or the thunder of a summer storm, often within the turn of a phrase.
Their command of the Gaelic language is truly awe-inspiring. They can deliver the words with a rapid fire assault without tripping over a single consonant.
Music director Michael McGlynn is a master arranger, creating understated soundscapes that don't distract from the beauty of the vocals.
Listen to "O Holy Night." The Irish harp lazily churns the melody you know by heart, while the pristine harmonies launch the tune into the stratosphere.
You'd expect a Gaelic read of "Silent Night" because, well, they are Irish and every Irish artist takes a stab at it, right? Wrong. Anuna turns in a German read, making even that harsh language sound smooth.
Anuna was created in 1987 by Michael McGlynn who, according to band folklore, credits both Sex Pistols and Debussy in his lack of understanding how a choir should behave and sing.
In abandoning what has been known about choirs he created a sound that's not classical, not folk, not world, not Celtic. They created a rootsy texture within the glitz of "Riverdance," contributed to three Grammy Award winning albums, twice with the Chieftains, and have scored plenty of chart gold on their own over the years.
The choir has had around 150 members in total since 1987, and tours with between 11 and 14 singers. The group's cloaks and long gothic-style dresses might look ancient, but their approach to the music is anything but.
Their last release, "Anuna - Celtic Origins" continues to draw big audiences on PBS, and their newest Christmas special, also entitled "Christmas Memories," is sure to gain them legions of new fans.
Did I say that this album is critic proof? I take that back. I just heard "Christmas Kisses," which has a quirky barbershop arrangement that kills the appeal of a promising original track.
But pointing that one flaw out is like pointing to the wee pimple on a beauty contestant. "Christmas Memories" is a winner, and you can be sure to make some beautiful holiday memories if this collection is the soundtrack you choose.