Reviewed: Jingle Spells
Jingle Spells - The Leaky Cauldron's Christmas Compilation, 2007.
The CD begins with "Xmas Rulez, Voldemort Droolz" by Harry and the Potters. It's another of their inspired, rebellious songs, and never has a truer word been spoken! Catchlove (aka Jace) keeps the uptempo wrock coming next with "It's Snowing", a song based on the part of Deathly Hallows when they are camping out at Christmas and Harry is missing Ginny. It manages to be simultaneously bittersweet and catchy, a great feat for any song.
Then there is a spectacular RAP cover of "Oh! Christmas Tree" by The Whomping Willows. A brilliant take on Christmas and what would happen at a Hogwarts Christmas party, it's just awesome.
"Wrocking Around the Bathroom Stall" is another really catchy one (especially since the original "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" is played everywhere in the run-up to Christmas!), and you'll surely find yourself out and about singing along with the Moaning Myrtles' lyrics instead.
"Christmas With My Mom and Dad" follows in the traditional Draco and the Malfoys vein of poking fun at Harry's missing parents, which is always funny.
"An Epic Christmas Tale: How the Thestrals Saved Christmas" doesn't sound like a particularly catchy title, but when you really listen to this song, the story is hilarious, and the chorus is stay-in-your-head-all-day catchy. We need more pro-Thestral songs! Maybe The Mudbloods will start a trend.
"The Sweater Song" by The Hermione Crookshanks Experience is a funny account of how all Hermione wants for Christmas is a maroon sweater with an H on the front. The Ministry of Magic's contribution is "O Holey Night", a song about George's ear being taken off in Deathly Hallows. Kristina from the Parselmouths lends vocals to this humorous tale told from George's point of view.
"Happy Christmas Day" is a song of the great quality we've come to expect from the ever-reliable Christian (aka Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls). This one doesn't really have a story, it's just a song of Christmas wishes, but it's funky, and wicked catchy.
"Voldy Baby" by The Parselmouths is another you fill find yourself singing along to the original with the wrock lyrics! In particular, the lines "Think of all the fun I've missed, think of all the wizards that I haven't kissed", and the brilliant reworking, "Voldy baby, a Nimbus two thousand and two, light blue..." Don't say we didn't warn you. Your non-Potter friends will think you've gone mad.
"Hope This Christmas" is by Ginny and the Heartbreakers, and ponders the importance of hope in defeating the darkness.
And finally, "Christmas With the Weasleys (Or What You Will)" by the ever-popular The Remus Lupins, tells the story of Christmas at the Burrow, and sends out an important message to us all - that the love and affection we feel at Christmas should be present throughout the world, all year!
Not only is this CD full of cracking tunes, but it's also for a good cause, as all proceeds are being donated to Book Aid International. If you didn't manage to grab your copy before it sold out, you can sample the songs here: http://the-leaky-cauldron.org/features/wizardrock/jinglespells. Apparently they will have details up soon about electronic downloads.