Darren Hayman -‘Christmas In Howarth.’ (Fika)

As I think I have probably commented before, Darren Hayman is a man whose recorded output has been so prolific over the past fifteen years that he makes The Fall seem like The Blue Nile by comparison. Only Will Oldham in his Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy guise seems to be able to match him.

Whereas my main recollection of last winter is my then very pregnant wife and I struggling to get about through a very snowy Scotland, Darren and his loved one took a different approach. Fed up with what sounds like a series of hideous family Christmases with his Mum crying over Monopoloy (this never happens in my home: my wife refuses to play as I am too competitive, apparently), they went off to Howarth in Yorkshire. Where, as Darren writes, Christmas looks like Christmas and four of the six songs on this 10″ EP were recorded.

Opener ‘The Christmas Wars’ is perhaps the finest track on offer here, but once again, there are six excellent new additions to his already impressive body of work, including two instrumentals. Limited to 300 copies, this EP is nevertheless, worth seeking out.

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Christmas in Howarth is out now. Act quickly.

You may also find the Advent Calendar with lots of free downloads available here of interest…

…and the comments are now switched on.