Montréal indie outfit The Dears released a festive new song, “Christmas Love” to celebrate the season this year. It came with an equally spirited lyric video.
The tune starts out with the melody of “Jingle Bells,” but turns out to be a lush song with plenty of bells, synth strings and claps. It’s largely an acoustic guitar song with transient electric guitar hits and a propulsive rhythm section. The vocal melody is catchy and simple, with twee lyrics like “You’ll always be my baby/I’ll always be yours too” and the repetition of the song’s title.
Animated gift wrapping paper is used for the video’s background and transitions, with fake cutout animation as its aesthetic. Vocalist Murray Lightburn and keyboardist Natalia Yanchak sing and play their instruments as the lyrics show up in frame. Some of the lyrics are also illustrated as their own animations.
On streaming, “Christmas Love” was backed with Lightburn’s cover of “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” It’s a quick but tranquil tune, stripped down to just his guitar and vocals, showing off his range more than he usually does. The cover was originally recorded in 2015 on The Strombo Show.
The Dears released an album in June called Lovers Rock, featuring singles “The Worst of Us” and “Heart of an Animal.” In February, they’re expected to play The Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles.
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