We have just had the nod from our editors that we can do Christmas reviews as it has passed the December threshold lol.
Although we had snow last week, I’m not yet feeling like the festive season at all, I find myself personally at a stage where I am looking behind me to those gone rather than forward to those yet to come. So perhaps listening to a slightly different blues/rock type of Christmas track may be just what I need!
Ritchie Dave Porter is an established blues artist who we have spoken to at the magazine before and reviewed a couple of times. Along with his wife, Debra Susan, who is a well established singer herself, they have done remarkably well in recent years picking up two Gold Awards at the International Singer-Songwriters Association (ISSA) in Atlanta in 2025.
With that in our pockets, let’s have a listen to the song.
My Review:
The track has a strong bluesy guitar feel and the vocals have a southern style to them. The guitar seems up in the mix and there is a form of clap along in the background that is interesting.The message is that she is coming home to spend Christmas with you, and that works nicely! It’s not a jingle bells, happy happy song, it is more rock oriented and it works well on the palate of a reviewer not quite ready for full on Christmas cheer yet.
So if you’re craving a Christmas track with grit, soul and a little emotional seasoning,” It’s Christmas Time” might just slide into that sweet spot. Ritchie and Susan have delivered something honest, heartfelt and pleasingly off-the-tinsel-grid and that is more than fine. Maybe Christmas isn’t always about loud bells and perfect Hallmark moments… sometimes it’s about gravel-voiced guitars, open roads and coming home.
Give it a spin. Let it thaw the frost. And if you like what you hear, go tell the world you found a different kind of festive fire.
© rock the joint magazine
Love what we do? Rock the Joint Magazine is completely free — no paywalls, no ads ruining the read — just passionate music journalism for 1,000 readers a day. If you enjoy hanging out with us, please consider hitting the “Support Us” button and buying us a coffee on Ko-Fi. Even a small donation genuinely helps keep the magazine running, lets us publish more features, and reminds us that people value independent music writing. And at this time of year a Christmas drink is appreciated.
You can stream music from the duo here.
Artist website here
The video is also below, filmed in Shrewsbury and a bit of festive fun.
By Anna-Louise Burgess