There is a discernible sense of loss and yearning here, typical of Elliott’s writing.įine World (When You Can Look It In The Eye) is a more rhythmic offering with a propulsive strum. Ebb & Flow (Yuletide!) kicks things off with nimble but restrained fingerpicking, and the delicacy of the vocals, all hushed excitement, brings to mind the better examples of Sufjan Stevens’s Christmas songs, without quite venturing into the more overtly twee territory that Stevens often seems to relish. Elliott is living proof that a well-timed whisper can often be more consequential than a shout, and on December songs, he takes that aesthetic to its quietly impressive limit. Simplicity does not equate to a lack of musical diversity, and a certain amount of complexity can still be found in the quietest artforms. In Elliott’s own words, “I wanted to find simple songs that captured the melancholy of this time of year, but also the cosiness, the closeness, the joy of simple acoustic music in a dimly lit room, and the promise of a different kind of year ahead.” It’s obvious from those words that December Songs is far removed from your average Christmas album, but to anyone aware of the autobiographical and often soul-baring nature of the songs on previous Little Unsaid albums, this will come as no surprise. It is also an entirely solo affair, with Elliott providing a primarily acoustic backdrop to nine original songs and two traditional pieces.
December Songs, as the title suggests, is a seasonal collection. July’s release Lick The Future’s Lips saw the band at their most accomplished and varied, treating us to funky basslines, country waltzes, dreamy soundworlds worthy of Peter Gabriel and many unexpected points in between.īut for Elliott’s new release, he has pulled something of a u-turn, at least on paper. Usually a four-piece, the band acts as the songwriting vehicle for South London-based John Elliott, whose dark, searingly personal lyrics and skillfully-turned melodies have invited comparisons with Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell and Mike Scott. Quietly, confidently, The Little Unsaid have amassed a body of work that is the equal of anything in the British folk music scene at this point.