Bros: It's Christmas Day

By Kerry Doole

Bros: "It's Christmas Day" (Dine Alone): Given the time of year, we obviously need to select a Christmas-themed tune as our final Track of the Day in 2018, and we can heartily recommend this new Yuletide treat.

Bros is the successful side project of Ewan and Shamus Currie, respectively the frontman and keyboardist for platinum-selling Canadian rockers The Sheepdogs. It has confirmed the musical versatility of the pair, as their sound is decidedly different (and more adventurous) than that of their primary gig.

The brothers recently came up with two original holiday songs, "It's Christmas Day" and "These Things Comfort Me," placing them together on a 7-inch coloured vinyl single. The release is also available digitally.

In a press release, Ewan Currie explains that “It’s fun to try and write something as classic and old-fashioned as a Christmas song. I tried to focus on the feelings of nostalgia and wistfulness that I associate with Christmases past. I took inspiration from old chestnuts like “The Christmas Song,” “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” and “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas."

Shamus Currie notes that “There are two songs I think of as being direct influences on my attempts to write Christmas music: Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time” and Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas”. Both songs are written by master songwriters and have a lot of standard songwriting components: interesting chord progressions, great melodies, somewhat trite lyrics. I think they both capture the warm and fuzzy side of Christmas while still being interesting enough to stand alone as good pieces of music."

"It's Christmas Day" has those ingredients, mixing a strong melody and admittedly cliched yet appealing lyrics, with a cute video to accompany it. The result is as warm and fuzzy as your favourite old Christmas sweater.

There are no Bros gigs scheduled, but the Curries return to the road with a major cross-Canada Sheepdogs tour, Feb. 12 to March 17. Itinerary here