Few things strike fear into the heart of a music fan like the words ‘Christmas’ and ‘album’. The sonic equivalent of a visit to the dentist, it might not be as bad as you’re expecting, but chances are, it’ll be pretty grim.
While it’s no surprise that teen heartbreaker Justin Bieber is ‘treating’ the world to a festive ballad this year, it was something of a shocker to learn that Ash frontman Tim Wheeler and London singer Emmy The Great had released a whole Christmas album together. And, bonkers as it sounds – and it’s pretty bonkers – they manage to pull it off.
One of the (many) problems with Christmas music is its insincerity. You can’t help but feel cynical as the cheesy lyrics are rolled out, the word ‘mistletoe’ jammed in every few lines in a desperate bid to make the Christmas number one spot. Emmy and Tim on the other hand, might have released this album as a drunken dare, such is the level of tongue-in-cheek running throughout. Among the 11 ridiculously catchy tracks, you’ll find pretty much every genre in the universe covered, and you sense the pair had a lot of fun along the way. ‘Christmas Day (I Wish I Was Surfing)’ – yep, you read that right – would bring a tear to a Beach Boy’s eye, ‘Christmas Moon’ is a lovely ‘50s style doo-wop affair that showcases Emmy’s vocal perfectly, while acoustic duet ‘See You Next Year’ is ‘Auld Lang Syne’ for the cool kids.
And then there’s the bonkers bits, but dammit, they’re fun. ‘Zombie Christmas’ – again, yes, you read that right – hardly needs any explanation, other than: “I was lying in my bed on Christmas Eve/Then something happened that I couldn’t believe/The sound of chains dragging down the street/It was a zombie Christmas.”
Silly, sugary and fun, it’s not exactly going to go down in history alongside 1977 as one of Tim’s most important musical exports, but as far as Christmas albums go, this ain’t half bad at all.