Smith & Burrows - Funny Looking Angels

DIY’s Martyn Young recently commented on the rise 2011 chart collaborations and how, whilst they’re bound to score a hit, are also guaranteed to be utter shite. Whilst the prospect of Tom Smith and Andy Burrows penning the next big Ibiza tune, where they repeatedly shout “PUT YOUR HANDS UP!” might sound either humorously terrible, or just plain terrible (the latter sounds about right), their collaborative debut isn’t as faceless.

At times, it’s hardly a jolly album though. ‘Funny Looking Angels’ often looks at the austere side of the holiday, the emotional struggles and the loneliness often overlooked during this time of the year. On ‘As the Snowflakes Fall,’ a glum Andy Burrows struggles to sleep as he cries: “All the memories I had of this crowded Christmas / Shattered before me as I hold them between these fingers.” Soon after, Black’s ‘Wonderful Life’ is given a solemn touch: antique percussive pitter-patters and tear-dropping guitar melodies moodily echo throughout. Although Smith and Burrows come across as a couple of Scrooges, there’s a lot of heart to be felt.

Still, through such struggle comes hope. On ‘When the Thames Froze,’ a battered Smith mumbles about his fight home (“God damn this snow / Will I ever get where I want to go?’), before ending with a triumphant choir – think Lennon’s ‘Happy Xmas.’ Meanwhile, they turn Yazoo’s ‘Only You’ into a celebratory anthem, all handclaps and marching feet. ‘Rosslyn’s will no doubt please traditional Christmas fans too - its opening piano line borrowed from ‘Fairytale of New York.’ Better yet is the stripped down cover of Sinatra’s ‘The Christmas Song’: a warm, delicate piano carries both Smith and Agnes Obel’s soothing voices, doing the original absolute justice.

So what if they attempt the boy band ballad formula during ‘On & On,’ only to end up with limp results? And so what if, for the most part, they’re glummer than being at an Iceland Christmas party with Stacey Solomon? ‘Funny Looking Angels’ is more poignant than any ruddy John Lewis advert.