I'm not sure there's a Christmas album with a more apt title. Released in 2015 on Daptone Records, It's a Holiday Soul Party brings the group's unmistakable blend of vintage soul, deep funk, and rhythm and blues to an irresistible collection of Christmas and Hanukkah favorites.

The 11-song album opens with the original "8 Days (Of Hanukkah)," before moving through a terrific mix of seasonal standards and original compositions. "Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects" delivers a little holiday humor with a classic Southern soul groove, while "Funky Little Drummer Boy" gives the familiar carol a seriously funky makeover... enough so that it's one of the only versions of the song I actually enjoy. The band also puts its own stamp on "White Christmas," "Silver Bells," and "Please Come Home for Christmas," with guest vocals from Saun & Starr on the playful "Big Bulbs."

Recorded with Daptone's signature analog warmth, It's a Holiday Soul Party sounds like a lost treasure from the golden age of Stax and Atlantic, even though it was recorded more than four decades later. This special 2021 reissue is pressed on festive Candy Cane colored vinyl and includes a digital download code. It's a modern holiday soul classic that deserves a place alongside Otis Redding, James Brown, and the great Christmas R&B records of the 1960s.