The holiday music season is officially open, and this time we are getting a double dose of cheer from one of the most distinct voices in the indie scene. Allison Young has just released a two-song holiday bundle, Cozy / Believe, and the tracks couldn’t be more different—or more delightful.
Rather than just dropping a standard cover of a carol we’ve heard a thousand times, Young has delivered two originals that show off completely different sides of her personality. First up is “Believe,” which is absolutely not the earnest ballad you might expect from the title. instead, it is a hilarious, quirky, and rhythmic track that paints a picture of a very different kind of Santa Claus. We are talking about a St. Nick with a mullet, a gold tooth, and a GTO instead of a sleigh. It’s a fun, stomping, jazzy number filled with clarinet, whistling, and baritone harmonica that feels like a rebellious cousin to the usual holiday standards.
On the flip side of the single is “Cozy,” which lives up to its name perfectly. If “Believe” is the party, “Cozy” is the recovery the next morning with a warm mug in hand. It brings that lush, vintage-inspired sound that Young is known for, providing the warm, nostalgic atmosphere that actually makes you want to sit by a fire. The production is soft and intimate, balancing out the wild energy of its counterpart perfectly.
It is refreshing to see an artist tackle the holidays with both humor and sincerity in the same release. You can stream both tracks now on all major platforms, but we have the video for “Believe” below so you can experience that wild instrumentation for yourself.