The Darkness have a crack at the 1988 Christmas song, “Mistletoe and Wine,” originally sang by Richie Clifton, and it’s an interesting one for sure.
Straddling the line of satirical and genuine, the cover is accompanied by a rather creative and unexpected (and at times, trippy) music video. Hand-in-hand, the music video and song pay tribute to the 80s with their tongue-in-cheek visuals and rather eccentric guitar solos.
It’s a Christmas carol, and The Darkness did it in their style. But, god forbid, someone covers Brenda Lee‘s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” or Bobby Helms‘ “Jingle Bell Rock” in a similar enough way to the original. Shit, it would be incredible if a metal band did their version of Eartha Kitt‘s “Santa Baby,” but similar enough. I’d pay real money to see a man croon for the big and jolly Santa Claus.
The Darkness don the song with their signature techniques; a guitar-solo placed in the bridge and heady harmonies as expected. Playing with 80s-inspired synthesisers throughout the song, The Darkness tap into the song’s originality besides its lyricism and melodies, and it feels like yet again, there’s a line the band are straddling that may not necessarily work in their favour. Is it a reimagined version? Or is it a cover? But, again, maybe the music video feels a bit misguiding.
Lead vocalist Justin Hawkins addresses fans alongside the release of the single on social media, saying, “Season’s greetings! Children, roasting on an open fire, their eyeballs all aglow, are weeping in awe of our latest seasonal offering. ‘Mistletoe and Wine’ represents a musical departure for The Darkness as we reimagine Richie Clifton’s timeless classic and add a few sprinkles of shoegaze and drone. Jack Frost staring at his toes? You will be too. In a good way.”
You can decide for yourself. Check out the music video below. And if you like it – you can save the single here.
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