Aidan John Moffat | Oh! What A Not So Silent Night Before Christmas
Gruff Rhys | Atheist Xmas
This year seems to be busier than ever in terms of Christmas related releases. Two sides of the songwriting coin up for scrutiny here, in the Scottish corner ex-Arab Strap Aidan John Moffat, and in the Welsh corner Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys.
Moffat serves up some frankly cheesey tunes, combined with some brilliant acerbic storytelling. Main track (Oh What A) Night Before Christmas takes an ancient Four Seasons tune and marries it to a hilarious tale of a drunken Scottish Santa. We also get his versions of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and Last Christmas, which we could probably live without but oh hell, it is Christmas.
Gruff Rhys on the other hand plays it relatively straight with a three track EP. Post Apocalypse Christmas is fairly standard material (for him), but At the End of the Line has a Ronettes/Phil Spector type structure, and an almost John Lennon feel. The EP concludes with the somewhat muted Slashed Wrists This Christmas.
You probably won’t be hearing any of these while doing your Christmas shopping.
Killian Laher
