I don't usually enjoy doured-up covers of pop songs whose cheery arrangement barely obscured inherent sadness in the first place (see Frente!'s cover of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle"). However, taking a little pep out of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" serves it well — as much as I like the original, it sounds anesthetized. "Last Chrismas" needs to deal with its feelings, damn it. It purports to every year and always fails.

This one's more in step with the heartbreak at the root of the lyrics, and if there's any genre that begs for an on-the-nose interpretation, surely it is Christmas music.

[via Pitchfork]

[Image via Getty]