Ah, our time together is drawing short. As I am a December graduate (woo!) I’ll be taking my leave of my post as your music critic in the next few weeks. Do not fear; there will be another who carries the torch. But until then, I will continue to regale you with folksters young and old.

And this edition of Folk Fridays features not only a folk singer, but a folk singer singin’ the Christmas songs. Aaron Hale has a plaintive, simple voice and an calm acoustic guitar, with which he hums, sings and sleigh-bells his way through two traditional Christmas songs and one original on his Hark! The Christmas EP. The good news isn’t just the fact that Jesus was born: this EP is totally free! Hale’s version of “The First Noel” puts the feel of the vast, expansive starry night of the First Noel into the song, as the awe-filled piece simply stuns. His original “Good News! (For Everyone).” is excellent as well, as he didn’t attempt to make an epic song. He just wrote a folk song that would be great to play at Christmas. He’s entirely successful.

If you like calm, neat, simple acoustic folk, Aaron Hale is for you. It’s only a free three-song Christmas EP, but it’s a great three songs.

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