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The Christmas season is 24 days of build up followed by a brief 24 hours of pay off.
The days after are often stuck in a strange limbo as seasonal decorations begin to overstay their welcome and the shrugging responsibility of the post-Christmas work week clashes with the excitement of the coming New Year.
Brisbane musician Bill Botting manages to capture the sentiment perfectly in the plainly stated “It’s Not Christmas Anymore,” the title track to his new four song EP.
Botting, who can normally be heard in English indie pop band Allo Darlin’ as well as Moustache of Insanity, recorded the song in fellow Fika Records artist Darrel Hayman’s house with members of Owl & Mouse, Allo Darlin’ and the Wave Pictures.
The song is a jubilant living room jam with tasteful guitar solos and warm saxophone complimenting Botting’s understated voice. The lyrics reveal a romantic plan to escape the holiday hangover, only for the exhausting churn of the year to unravel the idea.
The rest of the EP is made up of Botting singing quietly with his guitar. He shares memories of family on “Middle Child” and attempts to explain sudden waves of adult depression to his daughter on “Difficult Stuff.” Both songs are a bit indistinguishable musically, but shine due to Botting’s generously personal lyrics.
On closer “Christmas in North Brisbane,” Botting recalls scenes from childhood as his young daughter adds her own unique clamor to the recording.
Though the EP is altogether more subtly charming than impressive, Botting and the Minimums deserve some merit for managing to craft a release full of authenticity connected to a season not normally known for it.
