Friday 14 November 2014
Disappointment Choir - A Pretty Good Christmas
41 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!
Pre-order A Pretty Good Christmas on Bandcamp here
I clearly love Christmas. I have a whole spin off blog dedicated to counting down 60 (SIXTY!!) new delightful festive tunes until the big day dawns, year after year. So it was no surprise to wake to a drunken message on my phone from a friend urging me to check out the very song I'm writing about today. "Paul, man" he slurred whilst a girl cackled raucously in the background, "mate you gorra check out the dishappointment choir. They done a Christmas song and everything innit" he managed to get out before the sound of him being violently sick echoed in my ears. Charming. But being a diligent soul, I googled (not a euphemism) Disappointment Choir and found that they were a pop duo (hello Katy, hello Bob) who have a whole album out of pop music (Polar Ships - buy here, it's pretty much essential that you do) AND a seasonal song. Hurrah! A Pretty Good Christmas was actually originally released in 2011, garnered lots of praise and is finally being re-released (in a newly re-recorded version) on 1st December 2014. It's not your a-typical Christmas tune in that it's a flight of fancy of reindeers flying and celebrating the arrival of Jolly Saint Nick, yet there's an earnest honesty to it that evocatively describes what the holiday period is like for many many people across the world. It's a grounded approach to the season from the get go with the opening lyrics of "I've lost my job and you're working harder than ever" - the sentiment of the song being that life can be tough and hard going at times but isn't it nice to have that magical spark of Christmas that helps you forget your worries even if just for one day. A resonant yet melancholy piano chords intertwines with a haunting chime of "ding dong merrily on high" whilst a elegiac strumming guitars provides the song with an evocative texture that accentuates the lyrics perfectly. Bob's nuanced vocals vary from a melodic morose examination of the year gone by to the implicit optimism and hope he injects into the refrain - and it's a delectable treat when Katy provides those delicate harmonies particularly when the jingle bells shimmer in alongside them singing "we'll sing together and dance together on this night to remember". It's true they may not know what next year will bring, but in terms of crafting a song that finds joy in the here and now regardless of your circumstances they could not have done a more exquisite job. Just charming.
Ghosts of Christmas past:
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