chamber pop – Christmas Underground

The Heathen and the Holy, the seasonal project of classically-trained violinist Tom Hobden and musician/writer/producer Fred Abbott, who once recorded together in the much-missed folk/rock band Noah and the Whale, have been churning out a new song a year for the past ten years. This year, they took a moment to revisit their first song, “Hey Merry Christmas,” initially released way back in 2014. I did not review that first track, as I didn’t discover these guys until 2016’s “Best Christmas Yet,” which remains my favorite of their releases. “Best Christmas Yet” was the perfect mix of humor & earnestness, with a somewhat scaled-back (in comparison to this song) production and a touch of soul – check it out if you haven’t heard it before. “Best Christmas Yet” feels quaint next to the big, retro pop production of this rework of “Hey Merry Christmas.” The Heath and the Holy turn their production dial to eleven with the addition of the Budapest Film Orchestra, making this the most epic The Heathen and the Holy release yet. While not a brand new song, it highlights the love Tom and Fred have for this project, which is seen through the production quality of both their songs and videos. Their love is the quality that keeps me coming back. I may connect with the songs differently from year-to-year, but I greatly appreciate their love and dedication.

The Heathen and the Holy - Christmas Glory album mockup — 300 copies of these babies.

EDIT: They are pressing 500 (no – now 300) copies of their collected holiday songs on vinyl!! Buy one!

Bottom Line: These guys sink so much time and money into these songs… you have to respect their love and dedication. I raise my glass of mulled wine to The Heathen and the Holy.

LISTEN

Mother West
Buy: Bandcamp

Well that does it. I was beginning to think that I wouldn’t find a version of “Last Christmas” that would be deserving of a mention on these illustrious, digital pages. Well, Soft News has proven me wrong. NYC-based multi-instrumentalist Erik Laroi has been using this moniker to “dramatically reimagining songs from an 80s childhood spent immersed in the alternative music scene of that era.” Well, he does this particularly well, by stripping back the high gloss, bringing in cellos, acoustic bass, soaring violins, choirs of voices and the like, to bring spectacular earnestness to the artifice. “Last Christmas” is a triumph, but only one of 4 tracks on this excellent ep1- Christmas. That said, throw as much lipstick as you like on “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” I will still find it troubling, and just don’t want to get into this at the moment. However, the Spanish-style horns in “White Christmas” was just so unexpected that I couldn’t help but smile. That small touch makes a normally trite standard fresh enough to be considered for your holiday party, no doubt. I’d love to find out who else was on this record – as his list of past collaborators was quite impressive: “Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, Jon DeRosa), Lorraine Lelis (Aarktica, Mahogany), Claudia Chopek (Father John Misty), Margaret White (Sparklehorse), Perry Serpa (TV On The Radio, The Sharp Things), and Mike Levey (Tito Puente, Mos Def).” Such a pleasure – such a pleasure.

Bottom Line: This release was strong enough that you’re going to want to find out how Soft News deals with other tracks… cause damn “Last Christmas” was good.

Tag: chamber pop

The Heathen and the Holy “Hey Merry Christmas (10 Years On)” (2023)

LISTEN

Soft News – ep1 Christmas (2018)

LISTEN