'Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: It's A Holiday Soul Party' Lights up the Holidays with Exclusive Repressing

Written by Joanna Thomas, Photography by Jacob Blickenstaff

If you’re getting tired of the same ‘ol holiday tunes, yuletide festivities are in full swing with It's a Holiday Soul Party by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, an exclusive release from Daptone Records and Tower Records. This limited-edition vinyl brings all the holiday cheer with a candy cane splatter and shiny red, modern take on the original album cover. With soulful twists on old classics and festive originals, Sharon and the Dap-Kings elicit a delightfully emotive response.

The set gets the holiday party started with “8 Days of Hanukkah,” celebrating the nuanced traditions of spinning the dreidel on day two and lighting the last candle on the eighth day. “Ain’t No Chimneys in the Projects” uses sentimental saxophone and compelling vocals to pay homage to the Momma who kept the magic alive. Cheery jingle bells star in “Just Another Christmas Song” and “Big Bulbs” alongside showcased smooth harmonies. The definitively energetic remake of “White Christmas” walks along quickly with a guitar riff; an animated Sharon is having fun dreaming about the Christmases she used to know. 

The mood slows down with a honeyed “Silent Night” and soulful “Please Come Home for Christmas” that heavily hint at the nostalgic sounds of Aaron Neville or Charles Brown, and Sharon reminds listeners just how much feeling she can put into one word. “Silver Bells” starts deceptively simple with solo vocals over a jazzy piano intro but picks up to a throaty and gritty melody underlined by rhythmic guitar and excessively joyful percussion. After a rough-edged rendition of “World of Love,” that feels like it came straight from a crooning Percy Sledge, the album ends on a brass-packed instrumental of “God Rest Ye Merry Gents.”