"We Still Have Next Year" by Ollie Bond

A mere three weeks after I reviewed "Ready" by Ollie Bond, here the man himself is back again with his more seasonal release, "We Still Have Next Year" which is out today.

This intriguing offering is difficult to compartmentalise (thankfully). Yes, it's seasonal (the cover art confirms this before you even hear the lyrics) and the words repeatedly reference Christmas & its trimmings. However it is difficult not to read into the apparently personal message a much broader one, aimed at us all: the whole of humanity affected by the same circumstances currently. It's a strong thing to say, whether to an individual or globally: acknowledge the present sadness yet also recognise it as transitory & look forward hopefully. Good writing.

Equally, though, many artists quite understandably issue Christmas singles as standalones, sitting rather separately from their general body of work & the themes they tend to focus on,, "We Still Have Next Year" actually slots nicely into the run of elegantly crafted singles he has created for us in recent months such as "Ready", "Emilia" or "I'm Not Coming Back". They all feature aspects of regret & the idea of travel repeatedly crops up, as it does again here. It is indeed possible they all form part of a song cycle. If not, they do a fine job of appearing to do so.

The music matches the sentiment: another low key, yearning ballad with Ollie's trademarks of an apparently simple accompaniment throwing attention upon the words and his vocals, yet on repeatedly plays revealing nuances of variations & additional instruments adding neat touches of emphasis (there seem to be strings on this one).

A classy Christmas single. It may bring a tear to your eye too.