Merry EX-mas: Holiday Songs For The Divorced And Soon-To-Be (Merry Ex-mas Records, 2010)

Christmas is a great time of the year - especially when everything is going well. But as The Irreconcilables (aka songwriters Will Robinson, Mike Reid and Don Pfrimmer) remind us, Christmas ain't quite so merry when a marriage is falling apart. For the most part, these are spiteful little ditties, oftentimes set to the melodies of familiar Christmas songs. For instance, the track Frosty My Ex-Wife has nothing at all to do with building a smiling snowman out in the front yard, while The 12 Days Of Christmas (My True Love Took From Me) is likely comprised of approximately two weeks most anybody would give anything to forget. Nevertheless, there are songs that joyously celebrate a recent split, such as Christmas, Every Single Day Of The Year. Stylistically, the 10 songs lean toward the folk music end of the sonic spectrum. Let Her Go, set to the melody of Let It Snow, has a distinctive jazz groove going for it.

The overall tone may remind you of Loudon Wainwright III, even though Wainwright is a whole lot sharper lyrically. The words are funny the first couple times through, but grow a little tired after repeated listening. The effect is similar to spoken word comedy albums, where once you've heard the joke a time or two, it's not quite as funny. This CD might go over well as a gift for anyone who is sadly going through a divorce at Christmas. The rest of us would be better served by putting on a recording with the original lyrics.