Chris Farren
Like A Gift From God Or Whatever
Reviewed by: Jordy Lyric
Chris Farren, Floridian singer-songwriter and punk celebrity, decided to fill our stockings with 12 perfect tracks this year, in the form of his festive album Like A Gift From God Or Whatever. It’s a little campy, pretty sweet, incredibly heartfelt and super endearing.
When I first decided to review the album, I was expecting some kind of funny little holiday satire, something about illicit activities under mistletoe or maybe a children’s song about how (spoiler alert) Santa isn’t real. I mean, it’s pretty hard and rare for serious musicians to make themed albums that aren’t silly jokes, cover records, generic pop hits, or light novelties. So, when I actually listened to the album, I was in a little bit of shock, and so, so pleasantly surprised to find that it was not a joke, but rather, a well written and honest record.
Not only is the album beautifully composed, but it’s highly personal and definitely strums the heartstrings. Instead of relying entirely on the typical and oh-so-generic Christmas cheer barrage of sleigh bells, warm feelings and holiday happiness, the album sounds like something in my record collection that just happens to have a red bow and some tinsel on it. The album is relatable, and, for a Christmas album, that’s pretty damn impressive.
Songs like “I’m Not Ready For Christmas”, a broken hearted allusion to “Silent Night”, touch upon the feelings of holiday sadness that are often swept under the proverbial tree skirt. As someone who’s been broken up with mere days before Christmas not one, but TWO years in a row, by not one, but TWO different awful people, it’s nice to know that I’m not the only person who has ever wanted to shred the mistletoe with a cheese grater around this time of year. Along the same lines comes “Waiting For You In The Snow”, about a relationship ended too soon (“In the snow, in the cold because right now I cannot let go. Let it fall, let it break, there’s only so much you could take.”). I definitely didn’t sniffle. Maybe just a little.
Of course, the album isn’t all teary-eyed, eggnog-flavored sadness. “Merry Christmas Again” is a sweet reminiscence of lasting love (“Another Christmas and you’re still mine, / another Christmas for another year. Another Christmas and we’re still alive. /Merry Christmas my dear.”). “Happier New Year” is an optimistic and inspiring take on New Years Eve/Day, a holiday that I, and many others, happen to fervently hate. The track offers hope for better times instead of lament for mistakes made in the previous twelve months, a refreshing contrast to the typical end-of-year attitude of the average person. The album concludes with a sweet (and sort of sad) track called “I Wish It Was Christmas Every Day”.
To be able to work within a theme and still write a highly enjoyable and serious single for a compilation is one thing (The Wonder Years and Fall Out Boy, among many others, have done it), but to write a WHOLE ALBUM about Christmas that, a) rules, and b) ISN’T a gimmick or a joke? That takes serious creativity, talent, and a sprinkle of genius.
And, by the way, buying the album is not only getting, but giving. As stated on Farren’s Bandcamp, “For every purchase in December, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).” You can download the album here: http://chrisfarren.bandcamp.
If most modern Christmas albums are like those stupid, itchy socks your grandma bought for you at Costco and didn’t bother to wrap, Chris Farren’s Like A Gift From God Or Whatever is the sick new bike your parents got you, fully equipped with flame decals, a name license plate, and that little horn you begged for. Merry Christmas and happy listening.
Rating: Iconic
