December Friend - In a Warmer Way (2024)

The 10 slick tunes that make up their new In a Warmer Way were produced by John Wlaysewski & recorded in the band’s homegrown studios in Minneapolis & Brooklyn. Topically, the band covers unique issues: forging friendships, surviving chilly times, accepting flaws & always with good storytelling. All songs were composed by Joel Leviton & maintain the same levity as their past production.

The opening number “Just Beginning” immediately asserts itself musically & vocally. The trio continues to perform engagingly in a style that was the signature of Stackridge (once produced by George Martin of Beatles’ fame) & morphed into The Korgis who hit with (“Everybody’s Got To Learn Some Time,” “If I Had You”) years ago.
December Friend has an acutely good melodic thrust. Though for some reason this style of music never made a deep impression (except at times in the 60s with British bands) its drive & optimistic gutsiness are a sugar fix for ears. Considering these were all produced in homegrown studios & not at the Record Plant or Abbey Road – it’s impressive.

It’s hard not to compare this band to previous melodic champions like Supertramp, but they are fascinating because of how much they’ve achieved with so little compared to those artists. The trio savors just enough whimsicality to keep things interesting & not fall into the saccharine reserves of novelty. Their arrangements are skillful & their words are well chosen while the song titles (“Another Word For Yesterday”) are as clever as the songs that persisted through the long career of the Mael brothers’ Sparks (“This Town Ain’t Big Enough For the Both of Us,” “At Home, At Work, At Play”).

There’s a touch of music hall in their melodic hierarchy yet it never sounds vintage just rollicking. There’s no musician list but it’s obvious these are creative multi-instrumentalists. The wave of ideas never lets up despite the songs being made up of tried & true dance hall trickery.