Conveying the holiday season’s many emotions through both descriptive festivity and melancholic yearning, “Holiday Blues” is a memorable new track from Omer Netzer. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter recently caught our ears with his excellent Omer EP last month, and now continues to delight with further excellent songwriting here — bolstered by an array of instrumentation ranging from Christmas bells to harmonica and guitar.
An emotive, soaring quality emanates right away — as heartfelt harmonica and bright vocal harmonies move into an apt ho-ho-ho-ing. “December snow, twinkling lights / They say Santa Claus is coming tonight,” Netzer’s warming vocals deliver alongside soft acoustic guitar. Strings then enter the fold as the holiday descriptions turn into melancholy, with Netzer admitting “I’m all alone on Christmas Eve.”
The vulnerability expands into a riveting blend of twangy guitars, strings, and steady rhythms — yearning for companionship underneath the mistletoe and beyond. “Make my Christmas wish come true, and take away my holiday blues,” his vocals let out, then reprising the intro’s harmoniousness. “Don’t want a new truck, don’t want no money, all I want is you here honey,” Netzer’s captivating vocals continue into the final minute, where tender electric guitar and triumphant brass intertwine into a sating, title-touting finality. “Holiday Blues” is a resonating seasonal success from Omer Netzer.
