Friday, 4 December 2020

Candy Apple Blue ft William Rule - Joy To The World Anyway


3 WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy Joy To The World Anyway here (Bandcamp)

As someone who is in his 8th (!) year of writing a blog that celebrates a 60 day countdown to Christmas every year, it should be apparent that I adore festive music. And as much as I love the jingle bells and cinnamon swirls and fairy lights and silent nights of exuberant classics like All I Want For Christmas Is You and It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Kylie version), I do appreciate how clever artists can bend the holiday genre to its will and deliver a healthy slice of realism too. It is oft within that realism that hope shines the brightest - certainly the case for Candy Apple Blue and their new Yuletide treat, Joy To The World Anyway. The sibling duo have bought back William Rule who delivers a searing vocal performance against an icy synth backdrop that accentuates the heightened emotions of this time of year. It has not been a brilliant 2020 and Hoyt & Carly don't shy away from that in the lyrics of the song; they recognise the festivities can bring out sadness and melancholy - and William sings this with a tangible vibe of poignant sorrow. It is not all doom and gloom because when he sings the titular refrain (& the fa-la-la backing vocals join in), the clouds of despair part, happier memories shine through and the listener is given a shot of optimism that will last through to new year. It remains me of the gorgeous Erasure Crackers International song She Won't Be Home - a ravishing slice of 80s pop that is an honest view of life. 

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