The Alternative Christmas Number One
It seems somewhat ironic that Radio 1, who are backing Malcolm Middleton's terse Christmas single, 'We're All Going To Die', have just made a speedy u-turn after ruining another of our finest realist Christmas tunes, 'Fairytale Of New York' with overzealous censorship. Still, as Malcolm Middleton's track includes no offensive words, it seems he'll be safe from such treatment. 'We're All Going To Die' is a welcome break from slushy festive sentimentality, although far from as miserable as its title; in this sense Middleton's cutting tone is similar to that of Morrissey whose maudlin lyricism is always met by bright tunes. 'We're All Going To Die' has soaring synths, a breakneck pace and frothy feel that will make it a dancefloor hit in any case, its bound to add a frisson of excitement to the run up to Christmas whether you're focussing on the unseasonally pragmatic lyrics like, "We're all going to die, what if there's nothing, we'll all have to face this alone", or the chirpy tune. There's no mincing of words and definitely no false sentiments on display here, making, 'We're All Going To Die' the real indie alternative Christmas song
The one downside of this Christmas contender is the fact that it's only been released as a download, meaning that it's impossible to purchase as a sneaky stocking filler or novelty gift. In any case, it's great to see Malcolm Middleton getting some much deserved attention, and if you don't want another X-Factor number one, make sure you buy your copy today!