There are only so many times we can listen to Mariah Carey and Josh Groban during the holiday season. Yes, “All I Want for Christmas is You” will always be iconic, but every so often, it’s time to add some new songs to our rotation. Whether you need background music for decorating and gift wrapping, or you need songs to dance around at the holiday parties to, or you just need new sounds this season, these seven different songs will fulfill at least one of those needs. And don’t worry, Michael Bublé will still be there when you’re done.
“First Christmas”- Carol Ades
The beautiful thing about the holiday season is that there are endless ways for people to come together. In this song, Carol Ades recounts her first experience with Christmas; she’s the “daughter of a worried Jewish mother,” so her first celebration of Christmas happened with a friend’s family. She describes it in such vivid detail that you, too, feel like you’re experiencing Christmas for the first time whether or not you’ve already done so. Regardless of your religious affiliation, however, this song is such a sweet holiday tune, and Carol’s writing is witty and relatable, matching her conversational soprano. If you’re not familiar with Carol Ades, consider this exposure to her music to be your gift for whatever holiday(s) you may celebrate.
“If We Make it Through December”- Phoebe Bridgers
Something about Phoebe Bridgers in the winter is just so right– you want to curl up under a blanket while listening to her. Her cover of Merle Haggard’s “If We Make it Through December” feels like a fuzzy blanket on a freezing winter’s evening, and this is just one of her several Christmas covers. Her entire EP, titled “So Much Wine,” is filled with melodies that are both melancholic and gentle, which is perfect for any listener. The holidays affect everyone differently; some find them to be more of an emotional time, some find them to be a more comforting time, and still others find them to be an unpredictable time. “If We Make it Through December” is not only for the ones who seek comfort in the holiday season, but it’s also for the ones who are coming to terms with their holiday-season emotions, whatever they may be.
“Bells, Boxes”- Brittain Ashford
Mandolin sounds during the holidays aren’t what we always expect to hear, but Brittain Ashford can change that real quick. She’s the queen of turning the simple into the stunning, be that through melody, instrumentation, or lyrics. Brittain blends sleigh bells with strings to construct an adorable ballad about falling in love during the Christmas season; she’s perfect for all the indie music fans who might not be that into mainstream Christmas music but can’t resist a good background tune while “the bells start ringing and the lights, they are stringing up.” If you’re spending your first holiday season with your significant other this year, this song is for you.
“The Carol of the Birds”- Joan Baez
Not many of us think of Woodstock queen Joan Baez during the holiday season either, but her lovely lyric soprano crafts quite a few wonderful winter melodies. Picture a crackling fire outside on a freezing December night under a sky full of silvery stars, and there you have Joan Baez’s “The Carol of the Birds.” Unlike Joni Mitchell’s famous “River,” a sorrowful Christmas-themed piano ballad, “The Carol of the Birds” is more of a mystical and orchestral tune reminiscent of the ever-famous “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman” or “O Holy Night” type of Christmas songs. This is the kind of song you want to play while lighting candles or building a fire- Joan Baez’s vibrato radiates throughout the song like the heat from a flame.
“Snow Angel”- Tori Amos
The entirety of Tori Amos’ Midwinter Graces album is the soundtrack to a beautiful snowy December evening, but this particular track feels like a shooting star on Christmas eve- it’s ethereal, graceful and beautiful. Tori Amos is the ultimate goddess of piano music, and her otherworldly playing here is backed by an orchestra as fine as the first fall of snow. Give yourself a moment of peace during this chaotic season and put this song on. You deserve to feel the love of a “Snow Angel” just as much as anyone else.
“Christmas Countdown”- Frank Kelly
To counter any seasonal depression, check out this response song to the classic “Twelve Days of Christmas.” It’s a very messy yet lively day-by-day answer to each present the “true” love gives, and each one gets progressively more chaotic. For instance, it starts off with the recipient having to clean all of the various birds’ “droppings,” but by the end, the twelve maidens dancing have “beat the living daylights out of the eight maids-a-milkin’/’cause they found them carryin’ on with the eleven lords-a-leapin.’” It’s sure to give everyone at your holiday party a big laugh, and the Irish brogues just enhance this. As great as it is to hear slow and beautiful holiday songs this season, we can always use a good comedy break, and what better break is there than a play-by-play of receiving each gift from the famous “Twelve Days of Christmas?”
“Winter Song”- Reeve Carney, Eva Noblezada, and the Hadestown Original Broadway Cast
Whether or not you’re familiar with the musical Hadestown itself, you’d fall in love with this stunning arrangement of Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson’s “Winter Song.” Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada have very different yet equally beautiful voices that create a gorgeous visual of two lovers separated during the holidays, and the warmth of the ensemble’s background harmonies creates the burning hopes they both have to one day be reunited and sit by the fireplace together. If you are familiar with Hadestown or the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, just imagine Orpheus spending his first Christmas by himself while Eurydice sits lonely in the Underworld, knowing it’s Christmas but can’t do anything about it. Ouch.
As much as we love traditions during the holiday season, sometimes it’s really nice to add a little something new every year. Not to mention, sometimes a “little something new” can turn into a newfound tradition before you know it, and soon, you’re creating cherished memories for the future. Again, you can still love Mariah and Michael, but it’s never a bad idea to bring new sounds to the table. You never know what magical moments will come along with them. Happy Holidays!