A lot has changed this week. England have thrown away the Ashes, the direction of the UK is more confused than in recent memory, and Trump has outdone himself again. It’s not all doom and gloom though. With Christmas on the horizon (and on our playlist), you can be sure to cheer yourself up with some cracking tunes. So on a brighter note, we bring you the songs that we’ve been jamming out to in these dark times. You can listen to our Spotify playlist, and follow us, here.
Brooklyn Jones, ‘Santa’s Coming For Us’ by Sia
Despite the ominous title, which gives the image of a holiday-horror-story, this new tune from Sia’s Christmas album is extremely jolly. Sia’s powerful voice stops the song from becoming too twee (we’re all looking at you Kylie Minogue), and brings a wonderful, original tune to the Christmas catalogue. Also, the way Sia sings means that you can’t decipher all of her lyrics, which distracts from the lines about being “sweeter than hot chocolate”. Now I’m just waiting for the dubstep remix…. The rest of the album definitely belongs on your office Christmas playlist.
Sidrah Zubair, ‘Criminal’ by Miguel feat. Rick Ross
Underrated and sometimes overlooked, Miguel has been on my radar for a very long time and will continue to stay there. His vocals just drip with an irresistible sex appeal, his music is filled with lush and laidback sounds, and he always collaborates with killer artists to produce exquisite sounds. This song is no different, as the first track of Miguel’s newest album, War and Leisure, this is a great little opener and demonstrates all of his aforementioned musical abilities. The combination of the soft electric guitar, piano, harp, and croony harmonising makes me wish I was lying in a hammock on an uninhabited island (and away from the prospect of an upcoming adult life). Though I wasn’t expecting much from the Rick Ross feature, his flow and delivery complement the laidback beat without being too overpowering. The shoutout to Colin Kaepernick may seem a little unfitting, but it’s just made me like Ross a little bit more. There is no doubt that this one of the best releases of December. You won’t regret checking out this single or the rest of the album.
Freddie Metherell, ‘Mayday’ by The Go! Team
Its not often that you get a pop tune by a double-dutch plunderphonic group that is riddled with morse code, but in The Go! Team’s newest release, we have been gifted exactly that. I’d understand if you were to find this idea completely ridiculous, but you’d be wrong to dismiss it out of hand. With their latest release, Mayday, the Brighton based band are back to their boisterous best. Their idiosyncratic instrumentals seamlessly mash up to produce an uplifting soul stomper packed with sitar, brass, and whistles. The vocals call out for help as a mayday signal rings out in the background but with this song, The Go! Team have seen themselves back into their Mercury nominated best form.
Image: Atlantic Records
