By Mia Smith, Second Year English
The Croft Magazine // For indie kids, there is a yearning to be alternative even at Christmas. Although the feeling induced by the first few bars of All I Want For Christmas Is You is difficult to match, here's a ranking of the best indie originals and covers that inspire an almost identical emotion, so you can continue to feel musically superior this festive season.
1. It’s Christmas! Let’s Be Glad! by Sufjan Stevens
This is a standout track from the indie sweetheart’s Songs for Christmas compilation, It’s Christmas! Let’s Be Glad! is the perfect mix of jingling bells, jangly guitars and comically quotable lyrics to begin your indie Christmas adventure: 'Since it's Christmas, let's be glad! / Even if your life's been bad!'
2. Feliz Navidad by Shame
Shame’s masterful combination of pure unbridled joy, awful autotune and even more awful Spanish accents make for the perfect indie Christmas anthem. It seems as if the band were born to cover this song, leaving us with the feeling that they really do want to wish us a merry Christmas.
3. Santa Baby by Sidney Gish
With samples from Michael Bublé interviews, synthesised beats and rich harmonies, Sidney Gish confidently takes on this tired classic head on. The result is an entirely unique and refreshing sound, only helped by its cosy bedroom-recorded feel.
4. Santa Baby by Wolf Alice
Eartha Kitt’s Santa Baby seems to have been covered by literally everyone. Michael Bublé, Kylie Minogue, Madonna - even Taylor Swift! The list is endless. But Wolf Alice help Sidney Gish prove that the song isn’t reserved for pop royalty. Their rendition provides a break from the heady Christmas cheer, favouring a certain melancholic sweetness that is just as seductive.
5. Christmas Song by Phoebe Bridgers
Even more gloomy is Phoebe Bridgers' original Christmas Song, a ballad of despair, all about the darker side of the season. With her usual cynicism, Bridgers addresses a loneliness and sadness that can seem impossible at this time of year; it is more relatable now as we mourn any chance of a familiar Christmas.
6. Christmas Eve (Soul Purpose) by Blossoms
Released this year, Blossoms have apparently discovered the secret recipe for the perfect Christmas song. With textbook Christmassy instrumentals and irresistible sing-along vocals, Christmas Eve (Soul Purpose) is a wholesome tale of finding yourself, the ideal soundtrack for the chilly stroll to your final on-campus seminar.* Edit: *This song is also very daily-walk-appropriate!
7. Christmas is Home by Oscar Lang
A modern retelling of Chris Rea’s Driving Home for Christmas, Oscar Lang captures the simple excitement of sharing the festive season with your lover, friends and family. Cringey clichés (But I won't feel the Christmas in me / If you're not under the Christmas tree) are unashamedly embraced by this indie newcomer, making the song utterly charming.
Featured Image: Unsplash / Chad Madden
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