The High Plains Drifters are two releases into their existence as a band and show no signs of slowing down. I’m a big fan of their accomplishment with their most recent EP 2021’s Songs of Love and Loss – they came out of COVID with no appreciable loss of momentum. Their Yuletide single “Alone on Christmas Day” builds on that momentum while never moving the New York City four piece outside of their wheelhouse. Melody is prevalent throughout the track, but there’s also sleek attention to detail as the band adopts a largely minimalist slant
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There’s ample humor as well. I believe that the song’s video brings that humor much more to the fore, however, and it helps amplify the comedy present in the song’s lyrics. The female actress included in the video’s production is a more than worthy embodiment of the object of desire for singer Greg Cohen and it isn’t difficult for me to believe that any man would pine for her attention.
The numerous instances of laugh out loud humor scattered throughout the video and the first class filming separate this clip from the by the numbers promo videos I see often. Incorporating synths alongside traditional drumming and artfully played guitar fills is an inspired union that never fails to hold the listener’s attention. No single strand stands out above the others and this seamless confluence that the Drifters achieve is one of the keys to the track’s success. It strikes me as a track where the High Plains Drifters hit the studio with a clear idea of what they wanted the final result to sound like and, if they didn’t, it’s frankly all the more impressive.
The video has more going on than the song. It’s a conceptual piece in some ways and at least a solid minute longer than the track. I didn’t find myself thinking that they were guilty of any self-indulgence, however. Instead, I applaud their ingenuity. The video for “Alone on Christmas Day” is unlike any other promotional footage I’ve ever seen before for a song, yet it never looks ostentatious or calls undue attention to itself.
Nor does the arrangement and vocals. The singing has such an understated style that you’ll likely find yourself smiling from the first line onward as I did. We’re in good hands with The High Plains Drifters. It isn’t that they are remaking the songwriting wheel with this release, but they’ve nevertheless built a song that sounds fresh and full of restraining but crackling vigor. The drumming definitely gives it a lot of impetus.
I predict that this track will garner the band a lot of richly deserved attention. It won’t come alone from indie music fans, however, as the Drifters have written and recorded a track that has appeal extending far past the niche audience indie listeners are often part of. If you haven’t heard this band yet and love music like I do, it’s virtually your duty to seek their work out. I promise you that it isn’t something you’ll regret.
Chadwick Easton