With a live album and an EP of Christmas tunes already under their belts, Nashville-based Australian brothers
For King & Country spread the holiday spirit into a full-length album with
A Drummer Boy Christmas. Issued in 2020, the seasonal set uses the pair's uplifting, anthemic style with classics like "Joy to the World," "Silent Night," and the album title's namesake. The sweeping "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Angels We Have Heard on High" are standouts, matched only by collaborative highlights with
Needtobreathe (the dramatic take on "O Come, O Come Emmanuel") and
Gabby Barrett ("Go Tell It on the Mountain").
A Drummer Boy Christmas ideally balances the hopeful with the bittersweet, offering enough space for peaceful reflection during an otherwise hectic season. ~ Neil Z. Yeung