The Grand Gestures

“Try to imagine a Christmas all alone” insists one of the better-known festive classics, but this indie collective’s ‘songs’ – often more monologues – are closer in sprit to Mud’s ‘Lonely This Christmas’ than Slade or Spector – downbeat, maudlin and reflecting exactly how the aforementioned ‘holidays’ are to some.
Some of the many ‘high’ points include TV star Sanjeev Kohli’s darkly comic ‘I Never Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus’ and Idlewild’s Andrew Mitchell enveloped in electronic sounds and beats. Pride of place, however, goes to Andrew Howie and Pauline Alexander, whose ‘Quiet’ is the ideal soundtrack to a mince pie and sherry for one.

(This review originally appeared in the Lancaster Guardian)