35 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!
Download Under Mistletoe here (XO)
Download One More Silent Night here (Bandcamp)
Read my review of Gasoline here (MyFizzyPop)
Well this is just one of the most lovely discoveries of the 2016 Christmas season. As part of their annual XO For The Holidays compilation, XO Publicity have gathered together some of the finest alt-pop talents out there for another gloriously languorous Yuletide musical journey. While there are a number of highlights on the collection, the stand out for me has to be Andrew Joslyn teaming up with Local Strangers on the seductive song Under Mistletoe. I believe Andrew is an accomplished musician who adds the stirring strings to the composition, whilst Local Strangers are a pop duo who bring their creations to musical life with poetic words and lyrical melodies. Under Mistletoe is a rather marvelous collaboration that plays to the strengths of all. Set to a mellifluous and lush textured score that incorporates Andrew's strings alongside an elegant guitar and shimmering percussion, it is the vivid tale of all the observations and minutiae that contributes to the simmering passions between two people at the most wonderful time of the year. The mid-tempo pace really allows the lyrics and music to breathe, whilst Aubrey and Matt give individually yearning, longing and soulful performances that are saturated in the sentiments and feelings they sing of. When their voices combine, it is like honey to the bee, sending shivers of ecstasy down your spine. Add to this one of the finest middle eights I've heard in a long time (a playful romp that fills in everything the words don't with euphoric results; a graceful instrumental dance performed with dexterous glee) and you have a beautifully composed song that gives off more heat than any winter fire ever could. If you are searching for evocative, meaningful pop that will sound heartwarming and meaningful at any time of year then Under Mistletoe is the song for you. Colour me smitten.
EDIT (20th December 2016): As if Under Mistletoe wasn't enough (and it really is), The Local Strangers have teamed up with Andrew Joslyn one more time before the big day to deliver another exquisitely wrapped gift - a gift that will keep on giving for many years to come. One More Silent Night is as lovely and languorous as Under Mistletoe, another masterclass is letting lyrics and music flow naturally so they radiate like the brightest star in the firmament. It is the beautiful marriage of the two prevailing sentiments of the season - happiness tinged with sadness. This is not only reflected in the achingly heartbreaking way Aubrey and Matt sing the intimate lyrics, but is mirrored with the gorgeous layered score. Glockenspiel provides festive chimes that cascade like intricate snowflakes from the night sky, whilst the elegiac strings underscore the melancholy that reflections and ruminations so often elicit during the Yuletide season. Everything comes together to create an epodic convergence of sound so charming and impeccable that it soothes your soul and lifts you up thanks to it's inherent winsomeness. Oh and stay tuned for a special ending to the song - I won't spoil it here because the first time you listen it sends such shivers down your spine that it is a moment not to be missed. Now if these guys want to get together to do a full EP or album of seasonal songs next Christmas, I'll place my pre-order now.
**Ghosts of Christmas Past**
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