Self Released
Buy: Stream | Bandcamp
Seattle’s the Cave Singers‘ fifth album, Banshee, is slated to be released in February, but that hasn’t kept them from releasing (well, streaming) their Christmas song, “Christmas Night!” I almost feel silly writing about it, since it has been mentioned in a number of much, much, much higher-profile venues such as KEXP, where it debuted, and Stereogum. However, the song is just too good to ignore.
Yeah a change might come alright
To go and live a different way
That’s the only thing I haven’t done
See it’s a strange little life
You going to make it in time
The song has us looking out at the world, seeing an experience that isn’t ours. When presented with bitterness and fear, you instead discover love and hope. As frontman Pete Quirk said about this song, “I guess it’s hard for fear to play you like a puppet, with love in your heart.” Beautiful.
Bottom Line: The complicated optimism of “Christmas Night” makes me think of the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life; There is a thoughtfulness to the optimism that isn’t all-too-sweet, and I appreciate that tremendously. If I were the Cave Singers, I might open up this song for purchase ahead of the album; It is good enough to buy twice! They’ve got it for purchase on Bandcamp!
Christmas Underground 