It is often the case with popular music that those recordings which have the most profound impact and long-term appeal are often the ones which are produced in a moment without much deliberation or agenda. And that has certainly been the case with Slow Club’s EP of Christmas songs. The first single from the E.P, Christmas TV, was actually written in soundcheck at Birmingham Barfly and released as a free download for Christmas 2008. The rest of the EP was written and recorded in a short burst in late summer 2009 at Axis Studios in Sheffield and in their friend’s bedroom. It came at a moment of intense creativity for the band when the songs were coming thick and fast and the duo were really hitting their stride. The differing musical styles of the pair was already becoming apparent across the three original compositions and three covers, and there is a real sense of a band pushing their limits in a way which would coalesce in the recording of their breakthrough second album the following year. The E.P was released on 14th December 2009 and on 17th December they played London’s Union Chapel. The show was a huge success and quickly became a much-loved Christmas institution which endured right up to 2016 when the band played their last one before taking a hiatus to pursue solo projects. Of the EP songs it’s Christmas TV more than any other that has seeped into the cultural Christmas soundtrack and has taken on a life beyond the context of the E.P and its creators. It seems a little remiss that the EP had never been available on vinyl before now. So we have finally remedied that and put it on a format which does justice to the enduring appeal of these songs and that magical creative moment that gave birth to them.

Slow Club no longer being together is even sadder than Santa Claus not existing but I’m so glad this EP finally exists on vinyl. If you’re on the hunt for the saddest version of Darlene Love’s ‘All Alone On Christmas’, look no further. Charles mainly goes it alone for that track with Rebecca’s backing vocals so far down in the mix that it creates a ghostly sense of isolation. It’s also got an interesting instrumental (mainly distorted organ) version of Silent Night. But what makes this Christmas EP particularly special is the calibre of their original Christmas songs. Competing against Christmas classics often feels futile which is why so many artists stick to covering old favourites, but Slow Club cracked it with tracks like ‘Christmas TV’, ‘Christmas Thanks For Nothing’ and ‘It’s Christmas And You’re Boring Me’. Granted they’re downers but that’s part of their appeal. Christmas is often not snowing when you want it to, remembering Christmasses with people you miss and doing things you don’t want to. Slow Club make being alone at Christmas a lot easier and they definitely make you grateful for headphones so you can get away with surreptitiously listening to their Christmas EP in May.

By Martha