It is a running joke in the bar that Jack resembles Santa a little because of his white beard but that is where the resemblance ends as Jack is more of a biker type. He gives Clara a job and a place to live and when we meet her at the beginning of the story she is now 22 and has known Jack for several years and has a major crush on the older man. The story is following Clara, a teenage runaway who is taken in by a bar owner named Jack who is the kindest, most caring person I have ever read about.

This novella only took me about 20 minutes to read from beginning to end so I would recommend the kindle edition if you can get it because it is so quick to read. I know this is holiday themed but I never have the urge to read these kinds of books during the holiday seasons for some reason so I am reading it in the summer. 'Always' dives further into folk rock instrumentation and psychedelic folk rock influences, and features slide guitar much more prominently.I haven’t read anything by Cassie Mint in the past but her Christmas themed novella seemed like a good place to start. In October 2022, they released their fifth full length album, “Always” with the title track being released as a single on January 21st, 2022. During 2021, they released a follow up of home recorded favorites, in a sequel to 'Wedgewood Tapes'. The album, which is an homage to lost loved ones, includes an array of twangy psychedelia, Americana influences and more of a diverse sound than previous records. Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the group had also recorded their fourth studio album, “Black Pine”, during the winter of 2019 to be released in the fall of 2020.

In the fall of 2019, they released a new LP, Faded Reflection along with a collection of basement recorded analog tracks titled, the “Wedgwood Tapes”. They toured the US and played SXSW 2019 in support of their 7' split record with Lasso Spells, released Spring 2019 on Nashville's Cold Lunch Recordings label. Their first two full length LPs, Musical Witchcraft and Laughing, were released to vinyl over 2016-18. Following in the footsteps of Pacific Northwest greats from The Sonics to The Kingsmen, the songs regularly explore diverse instrumentation, which have become staples of the band's brand of rock.

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW Ray experiments in the analog and psychedelic, combining guitar driven psych rock with elements of raw synth-laced post-punk, americana, garage and organ-laden pop.

Beach Baby by Cassie Mint