Merry Christmas: “Fairytale of New York,” by the Pogues (with Kirsty MacColl) (1988)

(Originally published December 23, 2008) I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I call “Fairytale of New York” the greatest secular Christmas song of all time and one of the greatest songs ever. The Pogues were at a creative peak when If I Should Fall From Grace With God was released in 1988, and while the … Continue reading Merry Christmas: “Fairytale of New York,” by the Pogues (with Kirsty MacColl) (1988) →

Album review: Walk Through Fire (2019), by Yola

Yola's debut album, Walk Through Fire, opens with "Faraway Look," a seemingly simple song about someone looking for more in life. But we don't get the full story. My interpretation is that our narrator has a secret romantic longing for a friend who works at a grocery store, and knows she will never get him because … Continue reading Album review: Walk Through Fire (2019), by Yola →