Music Editor Faith Parker picks out a selection of alternative Christmas songs for you to listen to this holiday
December marks the time when radio stations begin to blast out Christmas songs and it is finally acceptable to start listening to your Christmas playlist. Year upon year, the same classic songs are played and whilst they may be timeless and comforting, there is nothing wrong with shaking it up a bit. Here are some suggestions for some alternative Christmas songs to dig into that you may not have heard before.
Christmas Day (I Wish I Was Surfing) – Emmy The Great and Tim Wheeler
If I could, I’d include every song from Emmy The Great and Tim Wheeler’s album This Is Christmas in this list. But that may get a bit boring, so I’ve picked out one of my favourites. The album is a staple in my household when December comes round again and it was brought to our attention as Wheeler is the lead singer in Ash, a band I grew up listening to. I have good memories of singing along to This Is Christmas in the back of car.
The urge to go surfing may be a reflection on the need to try something new and break away from the expectations of what a normal Christmas is
Many of the songs on the album are comical, including ‘Zombie Christmas’ and ‘Jesus the Reindeer’. This is no normal Christmas affair. In ‘Christmas Day (I Wish I Was Surfing)’, Wheeler dreams of being on holiday somewhere, as he ‘always hate(s) the snow’. Most Christmas songs romanticise snow, but Wheeler rejects this, instead hoping for ‘the shores of Mexico’. The urge to go surfing may be a reflection on the need to try something new and break away from the expectations of what a normal Christmas is. Wheeler’s sunny vocals are accompanied by Emmy’s angelic harmonies. There is no shortage of Christmas bells in the song, to root the listener back to the traditions of Christmas.
Melancholy Christmas – Mutual Frogs
Whilst Christmas is a time for joy and celebration, it can be a lonely and reflective time for many. The abundance of cheery, upbeat songs may not be what you want or need to hear. ‘Melancholy Christmas’ is a beautifully sad song about missing someone. Mutual Frogs are a Birmingham band; they went on hiatus, but are reuniting for a gig on the 11th December at The Flapper.
Vocalist Meia Williams sings ‘Merry Christmas, I still love you’ which later changes to ‘I still feel for you’. They are unable to stop thinking about someone, kept up at night by their thoughts and feelings. It seems that they would do anything for them, but the sad tone of the song suggests that there is no hope of reconciling this Christmas.
The soft, steady guitar is calming, wrapping a gentle blanket of noise around you. The song fades out with lovely ‘ooh’ harmonies and a smooth guitar solo. It feels peaceful and might just offer you some comfort if you’re also missing someone this Christmas.
Spending All My Christmas With You (Next Year) – Tom Odell
Tom Odell’s song is a refreshing Christmas tune, despite mentioning many of the cliches, such as ‘the mistletoe on the door’. It starts out softly, with clapping and piano, before breaking out into an upbeat tune with Odell’s cry of ‘rock and roll’ and a great guitar riff. The addition of a choir as an accompaniment is very welcome, adding an extra sprinkle of merriment.
Tom Odell is, in some ways, one of the voices of Christmas due to his cover of ‘Real Love’ for the John Lewis advert in 2014, which featured the adorable Monty The Penguin. Therefore, as soon as he begins to sing, we are already in the festive spirit.
Tom perfectly captures the pleasure of spending Christmas with those that you love
‘Spending All My Christmas With You (Next Year)’ is endearing and joyful as Tom Odell sings to the person he wishes to share his Christmas with. He apologises to them for being away at Christmas and promises to be there next year. Christmas is a time for forgiveness, so we hope he is let off the hook.
The song is interrupted by a rendition of ‘Jingle Bells’; Odell is clearly having fun with this and the classic fits in well. He then slides smoothly back into ‘Spending All My Christmas With You (Next Year)’ and the breakdown at the end of the song heightens the joyful vocals of Odell and the choir. Tom perfectly captures the pleasure of spending Christmas with those that you love.
Holiday-ish – The Regrettes (feat. Dylan Minnette )
Co-written by Lydia Night of The Regrettes and Dylan Minnette of Wallows, ‘Holiday-ish’ is a sweet song about a couple at Christmas. I was close to picking The Regrettes cover of ‘Marshmallow World’, but I omitted covers from this list. (That being said, ‘Marshmallow World’ is up there as one of my favourite Christmas songs).
Holiday-ish feels playful and carefree, a tone created by the casual whistles in the background. Night and Minnette have a conversation with each other, alternating the vocals. The couple in the song seem to be in their golden phase, still smitten with each other. They talk about building a ‘gingerbread house’ and eating ‘cooking dough’, whilst they are ‘playin’ house’. The holiday season seems magical and childish as they describe it.
‘Holiday-ish’ picks out the fun elements of Christmas and Night and Minette’s vocals, which complement each other so well, are playful. It’s bound to put you in a good mood and reignite your Christmas spark.
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