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Single/Download Review

Darren Hayman
Christmas In Haworth Fika Recordings 10”

Article written by Ged M - Nov 9, 2011

Already the Christmas lights are going up, Argos is flogging its seasonal tat and the novelty Christmas singles are arriving. And October’s only just ended. What would Jesus make of it all?

We make an exception to this criticism for St Darren of Hayman of course. Yes, there are sleigh bells on this record but it’s not The Darkness and their choir of children; here, Christmas is simply a backdrop for his stories of dysfunctional relationships and getting lost out walking in snow. He recorded most of the EP in West Yorkshire at Christmastime last year (while everyone else is playing charades, he’s playing piano and ukulele), and it’s the quieter, acoustic Hayman that’s on display. There’s nostalgia and loneliness throughout these songs, but reconciliation and community too (and hardly a mention of the Brontes, as the title might have suggested). The banjo-speckled ‘Photos like Postcards’ has a catchy chorus and a reassuring message -“I’ll make you warm/ just come to me” – while ‘Branwell’, though recorded in July, has a chilly air dispelled by the warm voices of the band (Robert Rotifer, Bill Botting and the Wave Pictures) in chorus. It goes without saying you should hear it, but hurry if you want to get one of the 300 copies – like last year’s snow, it’ll be gone by Christmas.

Links:
http://www.hefnet.com
http://www.fikarecordings.com