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I gravitate toward honest folk music, the casual ballad of the working man. When it’s HONEST, mind ye. Agendas are fine, but selling out isn’t.

So i’ve a bone to pick with Terry Welton’s “When It’s Nearly Christmas.” The Roger Whittaker prettiness of his breathy reaching and tinkly tunesmithery don’t back me up, much. But the giddiness for the holidays is suddenly communion with Christ–snuck that in, o you proselytizer of nuance.

Jack Terrell Clift, with a corrido approach, tells a tale of nativity with his folk epic “It Being Nearly Christmas Time.” This is an E-ticket ride that lifts and separates. Might be a bit tearful here.

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Care to throw whatever you call Country-Western at the subject?

Square dance calling to a rhythm machine should turn me on, but “It’s Almost Christmas” by Harold Rippy is mesmerizing in a traumatic way. It’s almost 1970 cop drama TV series theme music.

Mike Aiken gets much more drawly and vapid for his “Almost Christmas.” A shopping list of cliches, a singsong guitar tune… done.

More guitar virtuosity from Harold Morton heralds a better vocal arrangement in “Christmas is Nearly Here.” Again, details–no picture. But that may be the most we can hope for from this industry.

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Sometimes i just close my eyes and roll with the banging. Lyrics? Message? Let’s garage rock the topic.

Carton nicely crashes their band instruments into each other with “It’s Always Almost Christmas.” It’s a 9 for noise, but a 7 for song.

I’ll cheat and say ANY genre of music can be garage if the recording quality is poor, the enthusiasm is high, and the music is iffy. Try out The Gorgons’ bluesy “I Think It’s Almost Christmas.” Is it punk? Is it rock? Who cares, it reeks just right.

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Then there’s just bumming out… because–Christmas!

Club rock by The Nigh is starting to get the party started, but the dirge-like ‘tude unplugs my tree and steps on my dog. “It’s Nearly Christmas” is nearly angry.

Three Day Threshold & Summer Villains reveal that “Almost Christmas Time” is time to cry. Missing you outweighs all the presents, baby. Despite someone else. Swinging folk outlined in garage.

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Sometimes what we look forward to when Christmas is round the corner is the companionship and reunion of loved ones. Well, for those who can stand other people (cheers to ya).

Carly Simon draws out Livingston Taylor‘s “Christmas is Almost Here” as an easy-listening tribute to commonplacities. Finding a partner for the dance? Is this Prairie Home Companion?

New Nashville Revue’s “Almost Christmas” is honky tonk pop swing about being alone and jealously side-eyeing other lovers. Downer topic, downer genre mashup.

Unplugged, singular, plaintive folk/pop makes much more emotional impact, so take it away MYMP with “Soon It’s Christmas.” Heartstrings strummed. (Carol Banawa does this breathily and sexily; half a point off.)

Laying the blues on a piano bar smarm, Marc Broussard is begging for home with his sorrowful “Almost Christmas.” Lighters out!

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How much more romantic can the nearness of Christmas get a couple? Buckle up, buttercup.

Alive in Tucson is garage-ing about that KISS. That’s all he wants when “It’s Almost Christmas.” Head banging lip locking time wasting.

Charlie Russell is also after some smoocheroos with the pop-effort “It’s Nearly Christmas.” A ’70s throwback that nearly treads water.

Tom Dyer is heading toward Paradise in the electric piano plonking “Christmas (It’s Around the Corner).” This also-nostalgic for the ’70s twiddler takes it romantic strategies from teen movies. Disarming. (This is my Rosarch; when i hear the Nilsson influence i melt.)

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Thus have we syllogized that home is where the hard on. So let’s get loving with the proximity of the holidays.

Peter Vesth is softly romantic with his strummy, yummy “Almost Christmastime Night.” But something’s lost in translation, and he comes off as Scandi-awkward. I keep hearing Arnold Schwarzenegger in his stylings.

The Whispers do that creepy synthelectric echoey Motown soul that stinks of leftover disco when they lay down “It’s Almost Christmas.” A newer arrangement ought to clear that up.

Pop chortling about being in love AND It’s “Almost Christmas Time” makes Dwight Twilley sound like a boy band with aspirations. But, Britpop gets me (nearly) every time. It’s that bass beat, baby.

The love of inter-species close friendship just makes my cut, so “Merry Almost Christmas,” the charming kidshowtune from ‘A Year with Frog and Toad,’ ensorcels me. The original cast (Mark Linn Baker, Jay Goede) know what they’re doing, and they do so with Bway elan.

You know it’s love when you’re spending it with the ‘rents-in-law. Nick Flora’s alt-folk mystical journey is over before it’s begun, but “Almost Christmas” is transportive and trance-inducing. For me, anyway.

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When should you be home for the holidays? When it’s ‘almost’ Christmas. Well, get going….

Kristin Cifelli takes us to a homelike feeling with the Millennial angst of having one’s own place to celebrate in and how alien it feels with “Almost Christmas.” Bangin’ old folk style.

Also folk-bent, “Almost Christmas” from Danny/girl brings us [from the ‘Stick Man’ EP] to the domesticated domicile of yore. Heavy sigh. (The good kind, man.)

Reliving childhood, Jason and James Dake offer a pop folk feeling of nostalgic protection. “Almost Christmas Morning” is a warm hug. (Even the cat gets a stocking!)

Darryl Worley’s “Just Around the Corner” gives home the country-western treatment. Plenty of welcome, probably some guns. Honkytonk steaminess, so i’ll have two.

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Time travel time! Let’s listen to old times stuff about being close to the day of Christmas.

Reeking of ’60s TV specials, Larry Nestor’s “Christmas Day” claims to be not so far away, but the retro best buy date here was somewhere in the ’90s. Room temp pop.

Old World is the same as old, right? So let’s bask in the sad Irish family chanty “Christmas is Just Around the Corner” jigged by Finbar & Maura Dennehy. God bless you and keep you far away.

While we’re on the international subject, a quieter strummer allows for a more intimate moment. So “Almost Christmas Time” by The Bluegrass Brethren scores higher on the novelty-o-meter here. Still cheesy though.

The Celtic quality of the kidsong “Almost Christmas” here by Elizabeth Hanney brings a haunted, understated happiness to the repetition of joyous well wishing. Simplify thy carols!

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The excitement of Christmas coming spills out in joyous tellings through song and music. Sometimes that’s fun….

A Wild Frontier is anything but wild in “Almost Time for Christmas.” The restraint in their emo-pop is buzzkill no matter how gravelly loud they get.

David Jones & Tom Howe get Britpop with their TV commercial jingle “Almost Christmas.” Infectious jive, but a bit annoying despite its brevity.

Just as UK-ey “Almost Christmas” from the original cast of ‘A Little Princess’ (the musical i guess) brightens up Victorian drama, but isn’t this from ‘Annie’? I can’t tell musicals apart!

Sean Wiggins peps up the merriness of jazz swing with “Almost Christmas.” The sass doesn’t overpower the umph here, so props.

I can be persuaded by a musical number, iffen i can identify the musical genre outside of ‘showtune.’ David George’s ‘Christmas Ain’t a Drag’ (2016) big band swings “Almost Christmas” with gusto and jazzy improv that raises spirits (and hackles, iffen i’m being honest).