Former Everything But The Girl singer Tracey Thorn is set to release a Christmas album, Tinsel and Lights (artwork above), on October 29 via Strange Feeling.
As well as a couple of original songs, the album will feature covers of ten suitably wintry warblings from Stephin Merritt, Randy Newman and Sufjan Stevens. Thorn gets accompanied by her longtime partner and fellow EBTG bandmate Ben Watt on guitar and piano, and Green Gartside from Scritti Politti, puts in a vocal on a version of Low’s ‘Taking Down the Tree’.
Thorn says: "I’ve always wanted to make a Christmas record. Every year, when the Christmas albums start appearing in November, I get jealous and wish I had one coming out. They’re not all strictly Christmas songs, but if they mentioned winter or snow or even just being cold, that was good enough for me."
Here’s the tracklisting:
- ‘Joy’ (written by Tracey Thorn)
- ‘Hard Candy Christmas’ (originally performed by Dolly Parton)
- ‘Like a Snowman’ (written by Stephin Merritt)
- ‘Maybe This Christmas’ (written by Ron Sexsmith)
- ‘In the Cold, Cold Night’ (written by Jack White)
- ‘Snow’ (written by Randy Newman)
- ‘Snow in Sun’ (written by Green Gartside of Scritti Politti)
- ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ (holiday classic)
- ‘Tinsel and Lights’ (written by Tracey Thorn)
- ‘River’ (written by Joni Mitchell)
- ‘Taking Down the Tree (feat. Green Gartside)’ (written by Low)
- ‘Sister Winter’ (written by Sufjan Stevens)
And just when you thought this post couldn’t be any less timely, here’s Everything But The Girl’s ‘25th of December’ (which will be a bonus track on the US vinyl release) to get you feeling festive:
