An album stuffed with with very essence of Christmas! Oh, and some classic Sia high-pitched singing is also thrown in.
The tiresome Christmas tradition of mainstream artists creating a festive album for the holidays is upon us. Everybody from Snoop Dogg to Kelly Clarkson has produced one, hoping to join the elite alongside Wizzard and Slade. We all know the Christmas market is a smart one and if an artist gets it right, you can't help but think ka-ching as you hear the same song being played annually throughout December, and this year it's Sia Furler's turn.
Along with powerhouse producer Greg Kurstin, Sia has co-written ten original songs for her eighth studio album, Everyday is Christmas. Filled with the conventional sound of chimes, bells and twinkling piano melodies, it doubles as the perfect dance compilation for your Christmas party, or as a delightful backing track while roasting chestnuts. Known for churning out playful electropop anthems with her glass-shattering vocals, Sia has attempted to modernise the traditional Phil Spector Christmas sound, by following the eccentric style that has appeared on previous albums such as This is Acting. Mini-me, Maddie Ziegler is even pictured on the cover for the second time, wearing a festive red and green edition of Sia's trademark giant bow and two-toned wig combo.
In Candy Cane Lane Sia's distinct vocals take you on a journey through a magical street, full of sparkling Christmas lights during a jam-packed melody of bells and percussion. It's accompanying bittersweet music video follows Sia and her dog trying to capture a menacing Frosty the Snowman-like creature, resembling the now rare claymation style of '60s children's film, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Although the song is a highlight of the album, it seems immature when compared to previous work. It may be useful for engaging young children with its cute video and wholesome lyrics describing the colour of the rainbow "red and yellow and pink and green/ Orange and purple and blue" but an older audience who loved Sia's other songs may find it patronising.
Playful and whimsical anthem, Ho Ho Ho, echo's Sia's previous mood-boosting songs found on her fifth studio album We Are Born, produced before her struggle of coping with fame and leading her to become the artist famous for covering her face. The again child-like musicality of glockenspiels, slide whistles, and toy trumpets contrast its lyrics that pay tribute to festive drinking, “Ho ho ho, bring a bottle of booze/ We got nothing to lose.” An activity almost everyone is familiar with, this catchy and repetitive track is an innovative and refreshing idea.
Any album is not complete without a few tear-jerking ballads, especially with the classic premise of missing a loved beau at Christmas becoming a favourite since Last Christmas by Wham! From Snowflake, an apt analogy for pining over a former admirer, to moody title track and sentimental love song, Everyday Is Christmas, Sia's ballads thrive with a mature and sophisticated tone compared to pop clichés found earlier in the album. Snowman, light-jazz track and fellow ballad, is a highlight of the album which draws back to her early career, when working as part of acid-jazz bands Crisp and Jamiroquai, setting Sia apart from her fellow contemporaries. Snowman combines a gentle melody of piano and percussion which compliments Sia's angelic vocals.
Writing ten original songs is respectable, especially when it's so easy to cover pre-exciting ones knowing they will sell, such as Michael Bublé's Christmas album, suitably and imaginatively named, Christmas, compromising entirely of covers, which spent five weeks at No. 1 back in 2011. Although Everyday is Christmas favours novelty over the mainstream, the lyrical ability unfortunately falls short, lacking the empowering motive found in earlier hits such as Alive, which is disappointing for a songwriter we know to be so talented. The album brings subtle quirks to the Christmas market, but its popularity must be due to the pure catchiness and repeated playing from individuals who have it stuck in their heads, which for a Christmas album, is an undeniable success.
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