Since their breakup following a massive series of farewell shows at Terminal 5 and Madison Square Garden in 2011, the members of New York-based dance punk act LCD Soundsystem have spent the past few years with a variety of other creative endeavors — and along with their label DFA Records, squashing every single rumor of a possible reunion, including the most recent rumors of reunion tour dates during the major festival season.
However, a few members of the band — namely James Murphy (vocals, drums, bass, percussion, organ, programming, drum machine, synths, guitar, effects, keyboards, piano, clavinet, wurlitzer piano, omnichord, and vocoder), Al Doyle (guitar, percussion, synths and bass), Nancy Whang (vocals, keyboards, synths), Pat Mahoney (drums, percussion, drum machine, synths and vocals), Tyler Pope ( bass, guitar, synths, and drum machine) briefly reunited to record a depressing Christmas song that Murphy had been singing to himself over the past 8 years or so. As Murphy mentioned through the band’s Twitter account “every year I wouldn’t remember that I wanted to make it until December, which is just too late to actually record and release a Christmas song. But this year Al Doyle had a short break between Hot Chip tours where he could be in NYC, and Pat and Nancy were home, and Tyler agreed to fly out from Berlin for a few days, so we all recorded this together, and our friend Bob Weston was available to master it quickly — so that means, less than 2 weeks after we recorded it, there is actually a Christmas 7,” which feels like something that could only have happened a very, very long time ago.”
Yes, the song is depressing as the song’s narrator talks frankly about a disconnected and aching loneliness and the awareness of the passing of time — and what the song points out is the fact that the happiest time of the year, actually can be the most miserable and depressing time of the year if you don’t have anyone in your life. Interestingly, the song sonically speaking, bears a resemblance to “New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” as Murphy croons over an arrangement of piano, keys, drums and bass.
Merry Christmas to the lonely, indeed!
