Well, it’s time for Christmas tunes. Even for The Mars McClanes! The Portland-based outfit has been quite active lately, showcasing their eclectic and nuanced country-rock stylings, often packed with wholesomeness and evocative lyricism. ‘December Songs’ represents their willingness to play the seasonal game, dropping distorted guitars in favour of acoustic arpeggios and light percussions. The result is a record that’s warm and nostalgic, really incapsulating the sense of positive poignancy that Christmas is known for.
To be fair, The Mars McClanes are not new to such an endeavour. This time last year they were busy releasing ¿Dónde Está Santa Claus?’, a track that was much more playful and uplifting. ‘December Songs’ uses a different, more traditional script, hoping to inspire and soothe, rather than excite. It works for us; We can also fully appreciate the group’s fragile and relatable vocals, something that’s not usually a feature of their records.
Speaking about the track, they explain: “Not sure why we’ve been inundated with 100 mph Christmas songs since before Halloween, but something about that made us miss our acoustic guitars.”
Recommended! Discover ‘December Songs’ on Spotify:
