Parenthetical Girls | A Review of Their Charismatic “Christmas” Album

Sick of Bing Crosby, how about some experimental baroque pop for the holiday season. Portland’s own Parenthetical Girls have released a Christmas album. Most Christmas albums are generally wholesome and feature whichever band singing familiar Xmas music. Parenthetical Girls’ Christmas album is a lot more interesting than that, but you wouldn’t want to play it as background music at a family holiday gathering. Don’t be put off though there are a lot of Jingle Bells ringing throughout this album. You can really notice them in Last Christmas, pt II, which is an interestingly sung track that sounds like Brian Molko (Placebo) singing a Christmas carol, but it’s not.  So, if the radio’s incessant playing of Jingle Bell Rock is pushing you into a homicidal rage but you still crave Yule Time music try Parenthetical Girls Christmas.