On Christmas Eve, Future Islands released a cover of a modern Christmas classic, Wham!‘s Last Christmas. This is one of those songs that have been covered by everybody, so let’s see how Future Islands stack up.
Last Christmas was originally released in 1985, written by pop idol George Michael. Interestingly, it should be noted that it’s not actually a Christmas song per se. Rather, it tells the story of someone who has moved on after getting their heart broken – after Christmas. Although it never reached number one on the charts, it’s gone on to achieve massive international popularity; according to Digital Spy, it was Spotify’s most streamed song in the UK on Christmas Day in 2013.
Future Islands’ version has a smooth retro sound with beautiful harmonies. The synth pop track provides the same emotions that the painful story portrays with a slow melody. Basically, it’s easy listening at its best.
They recently recorded their own Christmas song Snails Christmas (I Want A New Shell), which was originally released in 2013. Their debut album Songs From The Shoebox is still in the works, hopefully on the way soon.
Although Christmas is well and truly over (even though the leftovers probably aren’t) as we prepare to embark on the new year, you should still check it out if you haven’t already.
For more, check out our live review and interview with guitarist William Cashion.