I recently completed my second round-up review based around my favourite songs from the holiday season. However, there were so many good tracks that I couldn’t turn down, so I’ve had to create a third iteration to make sure these fantastic artists get all the hype they deserve!
Review by Jane Howkins
Photo by Sarah McGuinness
Sarah McGuinness – Christmas Everyday (No More Sad Songs)
We’ve actually featured Sarah McGuinness a few times before, so it’s great to be able to share her addition to this list – Christmas Everyday (No More Sad Songs). The track is a typical holiday tune, full of bells and brass instrumentation, adding a nice backbone to this contemporary pop song. Sarah’s vocals sound as fantastic as ever, adding a jubilant quality to the track. Just try and listen to this without wanting to sing along!
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Mychela – Snow Angel
Snow Angel is a song that mixes together both pop and country music into one amazing package, with the subtle tune drawing you in instantly. Mychela has a gorgeous voice, soaring over the pretty guitar melodies as a selection of bells drift in the background. The slide guitar is used effectively, adding an extra country twang to proceedings. It all makes for a fabulous mix of genres, adding something different to the traditional holiday tune.
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The Frank Hailey-Eric Zukoski Trio – Sleigh Ride
Sleigh Ride is a jazzy song produced by The Frank Hailey-Eric Zukoski Trio, harking back to the jazzy Christmas classics of the 1940s. It’s got that typical swing feel that we’ve all come to know and love, seeing this trio putting a new spin on an old favourite. The piano is the real star of the show here, acting almost as a vocal line for the track. The drums and bass provide a nice backbone to the piece, making it toe-tappingly addictive!
Social media: Spotify
Attendant – Roll On May (Misery Christmas)
Attendant is another act that we’ve featured in these pages before, back with a new song with an interesting title – Roll On May (Misery Christmas). The track starts out with a pretty electric guitar melody and some holiday bells, as the vocals follow the fingerpicked guitar arpeggios. The drum soon kick in, turning the track into more of a rock song, as some killer guitar riffs appear. The song soon changes into a belting punk rock tune, adding a new twist on the classic Christmas song! Just check out the amazing harmonies on the chorus!
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David Vallet – Christmas Time
Now for something completely different! Christmas Time features a gorgeous acoustic guitar melody, fingerpicked in style on this folky Christmas song. However, the track soon turns into a catchy pop song, complete with a funky rhythm that’s matched by the groovy electric guitar licks. David Vallet has quite a unique sound to his vocals, but they work very well with the rest of the music, making for one amazing holiday song that’s very different from everything else out there at the moment!
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Anthony Benjamin – Christmas Time Again
Christmas Time Again is a pop song with a lovely bouncy rhythm, again featuring bells as part of the percussion. Anthony Benjamin has a gorgeous singing voice with a well-trained tone, weaving in and out of the music. The chorus is particularly catchy, despite the fact that the rhythm and main melody don’t change too much here. The strings in the background of the chorus segue nicely into the verses, adding a little more variety to this new holiday tune.
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Chris Mason – One More Christmas
The first thing that struck me about One More Christmas was how fantastic the production sounds, with lots of little wintery flourishes playing along in the background. Chris Mason has a great voice, but the real star of this song is the music itself – just listen to the string section playing in the background. The vocal harmonies after the chorus add a really nice sound to this piece, working in time with the acoustic guitar melodies that characterise this piece of music so well.
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Shadow Forest – Little Drummer Boy
Michigan-based act Shadow Forest are another group we’ve featured before, putting their own spin on the traditional holiday song, Little Drummer Boy. The drum have a modern sound, seeming hugely expansive for the entire track! The main melody for the piece is played using some ethereal synths, making the song sound rather different from the original (although it’s still perfectly recognisable). It’s an interesting piece of music and one you ought to check out!
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Katye Kellye & The Interruption – It Simply Isn’t Christmas…
Rounding this list of nicely is Katye Kellye & The Interruption’s It Simply Isn’t Christmas… The track is a punk rock song, featuring a frantic rhythm and driving riffs, with the occasional brass section in the background. It’s great to hear a holiday song that’s a little different from the norm – the vocals have a classic punk sound to them too, despite the festive lyrics! It’s also addictively catchy – check it out for yourselves below!
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