"Bella Hardy singing Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree? Wasn't expecting that. Where most of the other [folkies] have sought out the traditional end of the spectrum for their tidings of comfort and joy, Bella does it the other way around, taking some of the most populist (cheesy?) hits in the seasonal canon and - with Anna Massie playing various strings, Chris Sherburn on concertina and James Lindsay on bass - folking them up ... Sounds horrific? Well, yes, but - it works. Sort of. Merry Christmas Everyone, the old Shakin' Stevens hit that annihilates the senses at every department store you step into during the festive season, is stripped off its glittery hoopla and comes out sounding suprisingly lovely. Tracks like Peace O'er The World and Joy Shall Be Yours, too, are disarming in their simplicity, while bits of traditional themes are snuck into the sparing arrangements at strategic points. Its most persuasive weapon is that forthright Hardy voice, so guileless and openthatyou are drawn away from the baubled baggage of this music and into the words and message. Not Bella's finest hour, but even Scrooge may have difficulty resisting its warmth".
