The Doohickeys
Merry Happy Whatever
Forty Below
Does the world need more Christmas music? According to the duo known as The Doohickeys, it does. So, they put together a five-track collection of cheeky Christmas music called Merry Happy Whatever.
Made up of Haley Spence Brown (vocals, stomps, claps) and Jack Hackett (vocals, gang vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, rhythm guitar), The Doohickeys’ new EP was produced by Eric Corne, and features a who’s who of SoCal’s best musicians: Jacob Brown, Jordan Bush, Adam Arcos, Kevin Brown, Eleanor Whitmore, and Sasha Smith.
“Santa Needs A Beer” rides a mid-tempo beat topped by twangy guitars as Brown and Hackett narrate a slightly wayward story about how Santa needs a break after making billions of deliveries on Christmas day.
“Cuz I know it ain’t easy doing this year after year / I don’t put out milk and cookies / I pour that man a beer.”
The title track, featuring the Wolves of Glendale, travels on a buoyant doo-wop melody, with grand vocal harmonies giving the tune a bubbly feel right out of the ‘50s. A tight and right saxophone solo provides the icing on the sonic cake.
On “Put It On Credit,” a country bop of a song, the duo revels in two of America’s favorite diversions: shopping and paying with plastic money.
“You can be the big spender / If you borrow from a lender / It ain’t that hard / Put it on credit.”
There’s a tropical, Hawaiian sway to “Sunny & 72,” featuring Hayley Orrantia’s plush voice. Whereas on the closing track, “Santa Is A Stoner,” which is hands down the best song on the EP, Brown shows off her deliciously sensual voice, oh-so reminiscent of Dolly Parton — a Southern drawl doused in voluptuous tones.
The Doohickey’s Merry Happy Whatever is a spirited offering of country Americana Christmas music done with a wink and a smile. It’s not only top-shelf music but fun to listen to.
