Tuesday, 9 December 2025

Mateo Oxley - This Christmas


16 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Stream This Christmas (and other Mateo Oxley festive cover songs) here (external link)

"As long as Mateo keeps making these charming Christmas covers, I'll keep writing about them. If not the next Santa Claus, he's surely a shoe-in for head Elf..." That is what I wrote a few years ago when visiting Mateo Oxley's mistletoe magic music - and now this is the sixth year I've been lucky enough to check the new Christmas music song list twice and find Mateo unwrapping more melodic gifts for all to hear. This year's cosy little Christmas with Mr Oxley is just as enchanting as the one's that came before - and, as always, takes the snowy path less well trodden by selecting a song that isn't on the "Amazon, play Christmas music" play list (but one that should be - both in the wonder of the original and Mateo's lovely new take on it)...

This Christmas is a winsome cover of the 2019 Oh Wonder song, an achingly beautiful duet between piano and vocal. There's a delicate fragility to the keyboard accompaniment which matches the themes of the lyrical narrative; that the holidays can be tough for many people because they aren't with loved ones. In that sense, Mateo's sensitive performance makes you believe you are less alone - wrapping around you like a comforting blanket to make you feel less alone. At just the right moments, melancholy strings add somber elegance and grace to an already elegiac work of art. It's just the right balance of realism and optimismm leaving you feeling that (even when on your own) love, actually, is all around. 

Can we also just take a moment to appreciate the cover art? There's a serenity and sense of calm in that picture that enhances the message of the song - and, if turned into a John Lewis Christmas advert for 2026, could well be my favourite one from the festive firm since Lily Allen's Somewhere Only We Know accompanied Bear and Hare back in 2013. All in all, it's the total package - so do go and stream this all the live long day as Mateo is an independent artist and every little helps. Then go play his seasonal songs playlist for more wintry magic and go and tell everyone you've ever met about it. Tis the season after all - and through his insightful interpretations Mateo has created an annual tradition which is joyful and triumphant.

**Ghosts of Christmas past**
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