Following the emotional clarity and restless musical reach of his acclaimed 2024 album Grabbing at Water, El Drifte returns with a seasonal offering that feels both disarmingly simple and quietly ambitious. Released earlier this November as Holiday Songs, the two-sided single anchored by “Here the Holidays Is” is not merely a festive detour. It is a concise, carefully balanced expression of what the holidays actually sound like for many people: laughter and light on one side, absence and reflection on the other.
In just two songs, El Drifte accomplishes what many full-length holiday albums struggle to achieve. He captures the emotional contradiction of the season without leaning on cliché, novelty, or overcooked nostalgia. The result is a compact release that feels honest, human, and deeply replayable, equally at home on a holiday party playlist or in the quiet hours after the guests have gone home.
The opening track, “Here the Holidays Is,” immediately establishes its mission. This is not a carol and not a sermon. It is a communal invitation, delivered with a wink, a warm grin, and a vintage country-pop swagger that feels lived-in rather than retro for its own sake. Built around a deceptively simple lyrical idea, the song reframes the holiday as a non-judgmental gathering rather than a rigid tradition. The phrasing is conversational, almost offhand, which only makes the hook hit harder. When the chorus arrives, it feels inevitable. You are not instructed to sing along. You simply do.
Musically, the track sits squarely in El Drifte’s self-described “alt-twang” lane, where country, honky-tonk, roots rock, and indie sensibility overlap without friction. There is a bright, old-timey sheen to the production, but it never drifts into pastiche. Dave Jacques’ bass locks the groove with easy confidence, while Brad Pemberton’s drums and sleigh bells provide momentum without crowding the mix. Billy Livsey’s piano and accordion add warmth and character, and Justin Weaver’s guitar lines glide through the arrangement with understated charm. Katie Marshall’s backing vocals lift the chorus into full singalong territory, reinforcing the song’s inclusive spirit.
What makes “Here the Holidays Is” particularly effective is its generosity. The song does not tell you how to celebrate, who to celebrate with, or even whether celebration is mandatory. It simply opens the door and says there is room for you. In an era when holiday music often feels performative or prescriptive, that openness feels quietly radical.
The emotional counterweight arrives with “This Year (Wishing You Were Still Here),” a slowly unfolding piano ballad that draws from the lineage of classic seasonal standards that find meaning in longing rather than revelry. Where the opener throws the lights on, this song dims them. It begins with a delicate piano figure, allowing space and silence to do some of the emotional work before warm acoustic textures ease their way in.
Lyrically, the song is notable for its restraint. Rather than reaching for sweeping declarations of grief, El Drifte anchors the emotion in specific, concrete details. The empty chair becomes a quiet focal point, a symbol that feels earned because it is so ordinary. The melody moves in a gentle, circular pattern, mirroring the way memories tend to return during the holidays, unannounced but persistent. The sadness here is not dramatized or romanticized. It is simply allowed to exist.
Vocally, El Drifte delivers one of his most intimate performances to date. There is no theatrical ache in his delivery, only emotional honesty. The song remains non-religious and universally relatable, which gives it a timeless quality reminiscent of standards like Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” It is a song about missing someone, yes, but also about holding space for gratitude, remembrance, and quiet hope within that absence.
Both tracks were recorded and mixed by Jeremy Bernstein at Welcome to 1979 in Nashville, Tennessee, with mastering by Bobbi Giel. The production across Holiday Songs is clean, organic, and tasteful, classicist in tone without sounding antique. Additional background vocals, hand claps, and celebratory accents recorded by Adrian Suarez at Cedarwood in Minneapolis add to the sense of community that runs through the release. Everything feels intentional, from the sonic palette to the sequencing itself.
What ultimately sets Holiday Songs apart is its understanding of balance. Too often, seasonal releases lean hard in one emotional direction, either relentlessly cheerful or oppressively sentimental. El Drifte recognizes that the holidays rarely feel like that in real life. By pairing an inclusive, rollicking opener with a tender elegy for absence, he creates a small but complete emotional arc. The songs inform each other, deepening the impact of both.
For longtime fans, this release feels like a natural extension of El Drifte’s songwriting voice. For casual listeners assembling a holiday playlist, it offers something rarer than novelty. It offers recognition. Whether you are surrounded by friends, missing someone who should be there, or navigating a complicated mix of both, “Here the Holidays Is” and “This Year (Wishing You Were Still Here)” meet you where you are.
With Holiday Songs, El Drifte proves once again that versatility does not require dilution. In just two tracks, he delivers joy without emptiness, sadness without melodrama, and craftsmanship without stiffness. It is a small release with a big emotional footprint, and one that earns its place in the seasonal canon by being, above all else, deeply human.
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