ABC - The Christmas We Deserve
This new song from 80s band ABC is one of the better one's this year. It's a little downbeat for a Christmas song but it has a catchy chorus and lyrics that have shades of the Slade classic. (7.5/10)
Blackpool Sixth and Friends - A Christmas Miracle
A charity record with an important message behind it about child poverty, this is your typical Christmas choral song from a school, but is nice enough. (6/10)
Blake - Back In Your Arms (For Christmas)
With echoes of Elton John this gentle, stripped-back, piano-led Christmas ballad is a delight and really sets up the mood for Christmas. (7.5/10)
Blink - Happy Christmas 22 (I Still Miss You)
There's an indie, Barenaked Ladies, Smashmouth sound to this Christmas song that doesn't fall into the trap of sleigh bells and other Christmas cliches whilst ticking a few festive boxes. Primarily this is an indie song with a loose connection to the festive season but it's fast lyrics and singable chorus make this for a great seasonal song for those who don't want to be obvious in their playlists in December. (7/10)
The Christmas Collective - Dance Tonight (It's Christmas)
Something a little perkier for you, this is a bouncy, upbeat number with positive lyrics and a cool multi-voice themed. It lacks an overall focus but is a great little number. (6.5/10)
Cliff Richard - It's Better To Dream (Christmas Mix)
Taken from his recent rock and roll album, this is an old-fashioned sounding, inoffensive litle number with a strong sixties vibe, though the only real connection to Christmas is the general sound and the new version with sleigh bells added to the background. Not bad. (6.5/10)
The Computers - NYE
Though marking a date a little later than Christmas, this is a Panic! At the Disco-like indie track about love on the final day of the year. Boasting a neat little breakdown this is fun. (6/10)
Cruz Beckham - If Everyday Was Christmas
It takes a strong stomach sometimes to listen to songs sung by young kids, and that's the case with this sugary sweet pop cover. Kudos for him doing it, and the chorus is perky, but it's too twee to really recommend. (5/10)
Daisy Hicks - Christmas Without You
A beautiful little festive ballad that avoids the usual sleigh bells in lieu of a touching story about getting home to a loved one, like a happier, more long distance version of Chris Rea's famous song, whom she is weirdly related to. Hicks had a delightful voice and it's a well composed song, plus 10% of the sales go towards Children In Need. (7.5/10)
Released Friday 2nd December. https://www.facebook.com/DaisyHicksMusic/
Dave Pilla - An 80s Christmas
Head back thirty years to the 1980s with this gentle ode to the festive season. Nicely stripped-back with a few sleigh bells to make it more festive, this is a nice little new Christmas number about toys and if you're an 80s child like me this will resonate quite a bit. (7/10)
Available now from https://davepilla.bandcamp.com/album/an-80s-christmas
Emily Smith - Find Hope
Taken from a larger album of Christmas songs, this is a touching, beautifully written and sung record, with a delightful folky backing. Lovely. (7.5/10)
Faithettes - Me and My Baby (Spend Christmas With Me)
Going back to the Wall of Sound style both in terms of the lo-fi music and single cover, this is a fun retro-sounding throwback to the second classic era of Christmas songs. (7/10)
James Corden - The Greatest Gift
Sounding a little like Lou Reed's 'Satellite of Love' James Corden once more puts his speaky-singing vocals on record, this time for an extended advert for Sainsburys. There's enough fun in the production and the lyrics to lift it up, but Corden's mid-falsetto isn't great but it's a fun enough number, with an important message behind it even if it doesn't quite gel with the purpose of selling shopping. (6.5/10)
James SHINNy Davenport - Christmas Number 1
Though the production makes the vocals sound a little distant and packed with autotune, and there's a distinct keyboard-defaults to the sound it's a perky, bouncy little Christmas ditty that is harmless enough, though it doesn't really have that festive magic. (6/10)
Jamie Cullum - Show Me The Magic
Jamie Cullum joins the growing number of people dipping their toe into the world of Christmas songs, and his jazz-influenced retro-sounding number is a delightful addition to the burgeoning catalogue of seasonal songs, sounding like it's much older than it actually is. (7/10)
Janet Devlin - Little Lights (EP)
Click here to read.
Jenn Bostic - It's Christmas Time / Hope of the World
Jenn Bostic releases this double-header of a song. 'It's Christmas Time' is a perky, gospel and choir tinged upbeat number with Bostic's familiar loveable voice on full form. 'Hope of the World' is a slower, more introspective and festive-sounding piece that's less distinctive than the main one but with stronger, more thoughtful lyrics for this time of year. Together they may make for a great two-part of Christmas poppy and low-key. (7.5/10)
Joe Solo & The Hatfield Brigade - Merry Christmas From Hatfield Main
With politically charged lyrics and a rather bleak summary of the season, this isn't a joyful song to lift your mood but the words - which reference strikes and austerity, hit home, even if the overall delivery is a bit flat. (6/10)
Kacey Musgraves - A Very Kacey Christmas
Click here to read.
The Killers feat. Humphrey Hansen - I'll Be Home For Christmas
The latest and eleventh Christmas song from the band. You wait a whole year for The Killers' Christmas song, which is usually great. This, however, with a three minute spoken intro, and a retro-sounding but lacklustre festive song, that is mostly not the Killers, is the worst yet. Very disappointing. (2/10)
Kylie - At Christmas
After her incredible last attempt ("Every Day's Like Christmas") this feels a little more run of the mill and has vibes of S Club 7's 'Reach' with vocals that sound more like Britney than Kylie. It's fun and poppy enough for the festive period though. (6.5/10)
LIV 'n' G - Our Superhero (A Christmas Wish)
Possibly the most heart-wrenching number due to the story behind the song, musically it's not the best this year with the song a little too bland for my tastes and the vocals just a little too warbling for my tastes. But the cause is great. (6/10)
The London Hospices Choir and Paul Carrack - The Living Years
Not exactly a cheery festive number, but there's always got to be one touching choir-led song each year. To be honest it's not an improvement on the original, the backing lacking the simple power of the main version, but it's for charity so it's always worth an investment. (6/10)
Major Lazer - Christmas Trees (feat. Protoje)
Have a very reggae Christmas with this dance number with some very subtle sleigh bells in the mix. The chorus is OK but otherwise the song is a bit bland and though a different genre, which is always welcome, it doesn't really do anything great and sounds too similar to Major Lazer's previous songs, but just not as good. (5/10)
Man Down - Man Down the Chimney
Avoiding the cliches of the Christmas song, this is something much rockier and with a bit of gritt to the very thoughtful lyrics. (7/10)
Buy your copy online.
Matt Terry - When Christmas Comes Around
This year the X Factor winner has gone for a festive-themed song and though musically and lyrically it's pretty standard fare, it does have some heart to it and some strong production, and it's far better than the usual by-numbers covers. (6.5/10)
Music Radio Creative - Brightest Day
Perhaps a little too near the cheesy end of Christmas songs, 'Brightest Day' is at least sweet and atmospheric, and recorded for a great charity cause in 'War Child', coming across a bit like a winning X Factor record. Sounding festive without being packed with the usual cliches, the call-and-response of the two competing vocals work well and give each other space to breath. (6.5/10)
Nathan Sykes - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
In conjunction with Coca Cola, Nathan Sykes doesn't do anything particular big with the song that hasn't been done before (think Sam Smith recently) but the piano-led number is lovely enough and very well done. (7/10)
Pentatonix - Hallelujah
A nice bit of timing from the acapella group coming not long after Leonard Cohen's death; this is a pleasing version of the modern classic though, aside from the stripped back feel, it's pretty similar to previous versions. (7/10)
Robb Johnson and the Corbynistas
Obviously this video comes a little politically charged (in a light-hearted way) but it's difficult not to be won over by the gentleness, catchy rhyming and witty inclusion of lyrics based around austerity, Trident and funding hospitals, among other things. Sadly no mention of drain covers. (7/10)
Sarah Walk - Walking in the Air
This cover of the classic song from animation The Snowman isn't a huge departure but it's a slower, darker, more eerie take which, though not better, is at least something different.
Tom Odell - Spending All My Christmas With You (Next Year)
It's been a good year for Tom Odell with a really strong new album and singles, and he wraps things up with this uptempo rocking Christmas number that will get your feet tapping! (7/10)
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