Holly Happy Days Explained

Holly Happy Days is the 12th studio album and first holiday album by Indigo Girls, released on October 12, 2010 by Vanguard Records. It is their third album on the IGR/Vanguard imprint.^[1]

The album contains nine standards and three originals. Their arrangements are mostly acoustic, with bluegrass music influence. The Indigo Girls chose songs from several holiday traditions, such as Woody Guthrie's Hanukkah track "Happy Joyous Hanukkah," and traditional Christmas hymns like "Angels We Have Heard on High" -- arranged for guitar and mandolin in what the group called a Baroque-inspired style. Other tracks, like "Your Holiday Song," were written to include all faiths.^[2]

Critical reception

The album was praised by reviewers for outlets including PopMatters,^[3] The Independent,^[4] and All Music Guide, which called the album "an enjoyable, somewhat offbeat, and fresh take on the holiday album."

Track listing

1. "I Feel the Christmas Spirit" (Joe Isaacs)
2. "It Really Is (A Wonderful Life)" (Chely Wright)
3. "O Holy Night" (John S. Dwight)
4. "Your Holiday Song" (Emily Saliers)
5. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (Buck Ram, Kim Gannon, Walter Kent)
6. "Mistletoe" (Amy Ray)
7. "Peace Child" (Shirley Murray/Bernadette Farrell)
8. "The Wonder Song" (Amy Ray)
9. "In the Bleak Midwinter" (Traditional)
10. "Happy Joyous Hanukkah" (Woody Guthrie)
11. "Angels We Have Heard on High" (Traditional)
12. "There's Still My Joy" (Beth Nielsen Chapman, Melissa Manchester, Matt Rollings)

Personnel

Indigo Girls

• Amy Ray – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin
• Emily Saliers – vocals, acoustic guitar, nylon string acoustic guitar, ukulele

Additional musicians

• Luke Bulla – fiddle, mandolin, rhythm acoustic guitar
• Jim Brock – percussion, finger cymbals
• Alison Brown – banjo, piccolo banjo
• Brandi Carlile – guest vocals
• Victor Krauss – bass
• Mary Gauthier – guest vocals
• Janis Ian – guest vocals
• Carol Isaacs – accordion, piano, harmonium
• Lloyd Maines – pedal steel and dobro
• John Painter – electric guitar
• Don Saliers – piano
• Julie Wolf – guest vocals and additional vocal arrangement

Production

• Peter Collins – production
• Denise Plumb – art design
• Trina Shoemaker – mixing

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jurek . Thom . Holly Happy Days Review . All Music Guide . 26 March 2023.
2. News: Chianca . Peter . INTERVIEW: Peace and harmonies from Indigo Girls on holiday debut . 26 March 2023 . Wicked Local . 29 November 2010.
3. Web site: Langhoff . Josh . Indigo Girls: Holly Happy Days . Popmatters . 28 November 2010 . 26 March 2023.
4. News: Coleman . Nick . Album: Indigo Girls, Holly Happy Days (Vanguard) . 26 March 2023 . The Independent . 19 December 2010.