★★★★★
Christmas may have become a thing of the past, but the music leftovers linger on well into the January sales. It’s true, the Capitalist tycoons are eager to get their mitts on our well earned Christmas pennies from Granny in their stores . However, musically they churn out the same playlist year in year out. Everyone likes a new song as much as they like the latest model Smartphone, don’t they?
But there’s something different about Sam Smith’s cover of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’. ‘It’s just a rehashing of an old Judy Garland number from 1944’, I hear you music aficionados indignantly cry. Yes, it is a cover, but Smith makes it his own. Stumbling on the song, I was pressed against a touching and soul rendition of the classic. Garland’s version is a sublime warble. But Smith’s is a sombre and heart breaking coo. The musical tour de force of 2014 has showed no sign of stopping with this, his Christmas present to his listeners.
Sam’s angelic rendition of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ is sparse. But this isn’t the musicians being lazy and hoping to be home as soon as possible for chestnuts by the fire. The simple arrangement allows his angelic tones to shine out against the tinkling of a piano. His version is a nostalgic , melancholy concoction. It leaves the reader feeling warm for Christmas’s and mulled wines past. But you also can’t welling up as Smith winds his beautiful tones around the classic lyrics. He gently reminds us that it is indeed the season to abandon our worries, be grateful for what we have in life and cherish our time with our loved ones. Sam’s hauntingly beautiful number has indisputably touched this reviewers heartstrings. I just hope his velvety voice will enthral you as much as it has me, and make those post-Christmas hangovers slightly more bearable.
