How to have an Olly Jolly Christmas... (Olly Murs Christmas Songs)

31 DAYS TIL CHRISTMAS!!

Alternative title - Murs-tletoe and Wine...

Buy Last Christmas on the special edition of Never Been Better here (Amazon UK)
Buy I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day on the special edition of Right Place Right Time here (Amazon UK)

I love it when stars release Christmas tracks - whether it be as singles on their own or as bonus tracks on re-releases of their albums, it's all festive gold to me. Over the last few years, singer, dapper dude, all round decent bloke, Olly Murs has performed a couple of seasonal songs for BBC Radio's Live Lounge - and you can buy these on his last two albums (as indicated above). Performing them live gives them a raw, organic feel against the glossy studio production sheen of the album tracks - it's not to any detriment; rather these songs sparkle like the brightest bauble on the tree. Take his version of the indelible Wham! classic Last Christmas. It's set to a lilting piano arrangement that underscores the pathos and melancholy of the lyrics - something which Olly ably conveys with his reflective vocal style. I like how the shuffling percussive elements seem to represent the merry world around him, immune to his sadness - heartbreak really does feel that much more lonely at the most wonderful time of the year. Add in a horn solo (that brings a mellifluous magic to the track) and those glorious backing singers (adding texture and depth to the song) and Olly's gloom has taken me to heaven. Don't worry y'all - he perks up on I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day! He tempers the exuberance of the Wizzard original by positioning this as a languorous, mid-tempo ballad, full of evocative piano, shimmering bells and those exquisite backing vocals. Rather cleverly, this lets the lyrics really breathe and allow the full joy and merriment of the season to shine radiantly alongside Olly earnest and sincere vocals. Both songs are done so well that it makes me yearn for an entire Olly Murs album of Christmas classics in this style (and if he wants to throw in a few new self-penned numbers that would be great). Now who do I have to call to get an Olly-Louisa (X Factor) duet happening on Baby, It's Cold Outside?

**Ghosts of Christmas past:**

• 24th November 2014 ~ Roses & Revolutions, It's Christmas
• 24th November 2013 ~ The festive collection of Debbie Gibson
• 24th November 2011 ~ Elf The Musical
• 24th November 2011 ~ The Winter Wonderettes OST