One of the great 2008 musical stories is the resurrection tale involving a bunch of college dudes of yore (well, actually, not that many years ago) who reunited their Indiana University combo long enough to grab the attention of a record executive who offered them a multi-album deal that, fortunately, began with this Christmas sendoff.
Simply put, Straight No Chaser is sensational a cappella music which the boys clearly have fun making.
When they go in the sacred direction, they are phenomenal: ‘Hark the Heard Angels Sing’ neither harked nor heralded quite like this before. And they sing ‘Indiana Christmas’ as though being Hoosier were sacred enough for anybody who matters.
‘Carol of the Bells’ is worth the cost of the CD.
SNC wins this reviewer over by sheer unabashed energy and purity of their music. Men singing in the splendid aural nudity that is a cappella remains a compelling sound. These men from IU belt it out with singular panache.
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