Merge Records
Buy: Bandcamp | Merge Records
This makes so much sense. I don’t know why I haven’t been expecting something like this for years, as Mac McCaughan (solo) and Superchunk (his band) have been dropping holiday singles for years now. So, when I wake up to a note from your buddy Ned about a Superchunk 7″ dropping, it is this weird mix of excitement and “of course they did.”
So what do we have here?? The EP kicks off with a fantastic original, “Shortest Day of the Year,” that comes in 2 flavors – the digital “No Tinsel Mix” and the vinyl-only version, which Mac describes as “more rock / less explicitly ‘Christmas-y’ than the other version.” I’m looking forward to comparing the two.
Superchunk then Superchunks a wonderful selection of modern classics and more obscure selections. Beware – if you are participating in Whamageddon this year, skip the next track – as Superchunk becomes the first band to cover Wham’s classic “Last Christmas.” Don’t fact check me – hehe. The Superchunk paint job makes it a pretty fun version, and a welcome addition for sure.
There are a number of Magnetic Fields Christmasish songs to pick from, and Superchunk dug a bit deeper and picked “The Blizzard of ’78” and “”Have You Seen It in the Snow,” from 2017’s 50 Song Memoir. Curiously, this is one of the later Magnetic Fields records not released on Merge! “The Blizzard of ’78” is kicked into a fast gear, making it nearly unrecognizable from the original – which I always encourage! “Have You Seen It in the Snow” has been suggested as a 9/11 song, where the snow is ash – but if you don’t think about it that way, the song is a beautiful ode to New York when it snows. I can attest that beauty is real, and Mac’s voice only adds to the sweetness of this kinder interpretation.
The final song is a cover of Galaxie 500’s “Snowstorm,” which is a song I could stand to be covered more often. Let’s throw “Santa Baby” in the bin, give me more of this. An added bonus? Superchunk’s version shaves 2 minutes off the original run time, making it a lovely bit-sized option for your mix. Or… you could always luxuriate in the five-minute-long original.
Bottom Line: This wonderful record might not last the day – I’d pick it up if you are curious.
