Norwegian indiepop supergroup Sunturns (Ola Innset, Einar Stray and Sjur Lyseid) share their third selection of festive anthems in ‘Christmas III’. While inspired by the season’s festivities, the song’s also look some of the more somber and sad moments that affect us all come 25 December…
There’s a Ronettes-style introduction to the album opener ‘New Snow’. This evolves into a jangle pop sound – complete with M Ward-esque guitar, choral backing vocals and self-reflection: I’ve been taking it too slow, now there’s blood in the snow’. Lead single ‘Crash Course Christmas’ follows with crashing drums and glockenspiel for that extra festive touch. Reminiscent of Los Campesinos’ Christmas EP, there’s air of heartbreak as they sing ‘Tonight I missed the sound of stupid Christmas songs I sang with you’.
‘Magnetic Field’ is more acoustic and introspective, providing a real focus on the words: ‘Browsing through people with Hallmark remarks’. ‘I Do’ reminded us of Stars with its glacial, piano-led beauty and pining, autobiographical lyrics about dark days coming and how ‘it feels like the Earth is trembling, I can see the clouds assembling’ – especially when they mention the ‘crumbling economy’ that’s also affecting us all. ‘First Winter’ is an ode to parenthood – changing nappies, having too much coffee and finding solace in an anti-depression lamp – that looks ahead to spring: ‘It’s still just you and me, but thankfully this time it’s with a smile’.
‘Back in Town’ combines the melodies of Team Me with the pomp of Efterklang as Sunturns reflect on the old feelings that resurface when you head home for the Christmas holidays: ‘The people that should know the best, know you the least. Family is a difficult thing’. The emotional ballad ‘The Day Before the Day’ could be a distant cousin of Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’ with its observations on grief, love, loss and how it isn’t the most wonderful time of the year for everyone: ‘I am losing faith’; ‘A pause moves through the room for our lost ones’.
The album comes to a close with the swaying sound of ‘This Christmas/Next Christmas’, a song inspired by a kids’ Christmas TV show (‘Jul i Blåfjell’) that is essentially a visual advent calendar-style countdown. The band sing about not coming home for Christmas and how age and responsibility changes this holiday: ‘I am a parent too. Who is to tell me what is the right thing to do?’
Looking at how the meaning of Christmas evolves and changes as you grow older, Sunturns’ ‘Christmas III’ is a warming soundtrack to a special, emotional time.
