Holiday music: Nine new songs to add to your December playlist
“Santa Stay Home”—U.S. Girls
“Who knew the thought of ditching Christmas’ icon for good would be so jolly?” asked Nina Corcoran in ConsequenceOfSound .net. Meg Remy, the Toronto singersongwriter who records as U.S. Girls, partnered with producer Rich Morel on this tongue-in-cheek rant against Santa and his creepy house-invading tradition, set to distant chimes and “an uptempo indie rock groove that makes you want to dance.”
“You Know It’s Christmas”—Dion
His co-writer suggested a Christmas song in the style of “The Wanderer,” and, at 81, Dion came through, said Paul Zollo in AmericanSongwriter.com. The rock pioneer is in great voice as he and his Gibson lay down a chugging blues groove for a seasonal boast about a great gift he’s bought. The track just has “that distinctive Dion electricity—something that can’t be faked.”
“Lonely Christmas”—Wallis
Even for pros, “the Christmas song thing is a hard nut to crack,” but 15-year-old Wallis Schriver makes it look easy with her pop bauble built on a bouncy keyboard riff, said PhillyMag.com. The YouTube video that’s spreading the song is a charming family affair, and there’s a touch of Mariah Carey’s holiday classic in the suburban Philadelphia teen’s melodic ode to December 2020 and assurance that we’ll muddle through.
“The Return”—Chance the Rapper Chance previously released two holiday mixtapes, and now that they’re arriving on streaming services, he’s added this Christmassy two-minute winner. Rapping over “a warm, melodic beat,” said Tom Breihan in Stereogum.com, he turns the implied menace of the song’s title into a promise of Santa-like generosity and cheer.
“The Only Thing Missing”—Alessia Cara “Get out your hankies for this one,” said Scott Mervis in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter adds a holiday tearjerker to her repertoire with this ballad, which appears on an EP with a stripped-down version of her own “Make It to Christmas” and a “must-listen” version of “Moody’s Mood for Love.”
“Christmas in April”—Andrew Bird Andrew Bird’s new Christmas album offers both beauty and “a mood of distanced coziness,” said Sarah Larson in The New Yorker. In this sentimental single, written just before lockdown, tuneful whistling and plaintive yearning abound.
“Snow”—Leslie Odom Jr.
On his second holiday set, the Broadway star from Hamilton mostly covers traditional gems and contemporary classics, said The New York Times. But the original tune is a “jingle-jangly” uptempo R&B track about the bliss of being with loved ones.
“You and I at Christmastime”—
The Bird and the Bee
This duo’s retro indie-pop sound turns out to be “the perfect medium for channeling holiday vibes,” said AVClub.com. On this track, the jazzy blend of piano, bass, horns, and breathy vocals “comes across like a wintry night out at an old-school nightclub.”
“Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas”— Dolly Parton with Michael Bublé
“You have to hand it to Dolly for turning the tables,” said Nate Chinen in WBGO.org. On her first holiday album in 30 years, one tune she wrote is a flirty update of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” with all the snuggling but none of the “unfortunate hint of coercion.”