After last year's surf rock-infused album, Cannonballers, from Colony House, I was pleasantly surprised to see such a quick follow-up of music a short year later. That enthusiasm was tempered when I discovered it was to be Christmas music, but after giving it a shot, the Nashville indie rockers had won me over again. With the Every Christmas EP, they have served up a delightful seasonal appetizer of three brief, but excellent original Christmas tunes.

"Merry Christmas" kicks things off with a hazy 60s-era slow jam. This is the type of song you would listen to around the fireplace as the Colony House fellas...

Singer-songwriter Chris Renzema tested my patience. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan; he just tested my longstanding struggle with the question, "Do we even need more Christmas music?" Each year, as CCM artists begin releasing Christmas music in September or October, I'm faced with the choice to embrace my inner Grinch or remain open-minded. Well, I'm glad to say Renzema dodges the common trap of well-known cover songs with safely bland arrangements by releasing five original, and excellent, tunes. So, for that reason, and the fact that Chris is one of the best at writing relatable devotional pop currently, I'm happy to report I'm all-in on his Christmas in the Midwest EP...

Jason Martin must have been feeling extra nostalgic when recording Lust for Gold. On his newest release, he takes listeners on a time-traveling journey back to the 90s shoegaze wall of reverb sound. Straight away, "909" is a delightful call to crank up the volume and let the noisy guitars wash over you as he returns to the familiar theme of looking backward. The title track is another highlight that utilizes synth and a simple guitar riff to lament the foolishness of a life spent seeking earthly treasure singing, "In my lust for gold I feel like/I've gotten nowhere/In my lust for gold I feel like this...