So much of the Christmas season, for me, is all about the music. I have no problems with you if you want to start your Christmas celebrations a little early. After Halloween seems excessive. After Thanksgiving is fair game. Then let’s bring on the real Christmas songs and the fake ones, too. I don’t discriminate. From Dec 16-31, it’s all Christmas music playing on Mental Jukebox.

This is my new, favorite version of the Wham! Christmas classic. This Future Islands remake is like a fresh blanket of snow. Updated for the times, Herring sings a full octave lower than George Michael’s original vocal output. Future Islands pays homage to the holiday song without veering far from the original. The synthesizers shimmer more like LED than fluorescent, but the melody is still the melody and the lyrics and still the lyrics.

“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart. But the very next day you gave it away. This year, To save me from tears I'll give it to someone special.”