If there is one Christmas release that I would urge you to go out and buy this year, it would be Charlotte Campbell’s EP ‘Merry Christmas to You’. The name may not ring a bell. But the voice will certainly chime with those looking to evoke the gentle spirit of the festive season.

In this four-song collection, Charlotte brings a positivity and warmth that wraps around you like a blanket. Her vocals are perfectly understated – no grandeur or overegging of the Christmas pudding (if you’ll pardon the terrible pun). Instead, one finds a simplicity and grace in songs that will be familiar to most. Campbell has pressed her own unique mark onto ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and ‘Silent Night’. The former is nostalgic in its output, sounding like an old vinyl record being played in front of a roaring log fire. The latter has choral overtones that blend well with Campbell’s folk-pop sensibility.

Joining these three classics is an original, written by Campbell herself, and surely deserving of wider airplay. ‘Merry Christmas to You’ is in keeping with modern tradition whilst capturing something anew of the season as experienced in her urban context. Its chorus is incredibly catchy and is just the tonic for those feeling a little down as the dark nights begin to draw in and the cold wind begins to bite. She may be unsigned, but that is only one more reason to support this record. ‘Merry Christmas to You’ is a festive gem. The perfect present for this Christmas.

Review by Gareth Williams

Listen to Merry Christmas To You here

Purchase Merry Christmas To You here