Tinsel and Lights
{{Short description|2012 album by Tracey Thorn}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Tinsel and Lights
| type = studio
| artist = Tracey Thorn
| cover = Tinsel and Lights.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|df=yes|2012|10|29}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Christmas
| length = {{Duration|m=37|s=13}}
| label = {{hlist|Strange Feeling|Merge}}
| producer = Ewan Pearson
| prev_title = Love and Its Opposite
| prev_year = 2010
| next_title = Solo: Songs and Collaborations 1982–2015
| next_year = 2015
}}
Tinsel and Lights is a Christmas album by British singer Tracey Thorn. It was released on 29 October 2012{{Cite web|title = BBC - Music - Review of Tracey Thorn - Tinsel and Lights|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/zh8r|accessdate = 2015-10-04|first = Wyndham|last = Wallace}} on Strange Feeling and Merge Records. It is her fourth solo studio album.
The album mostly avoids canonical Christmas songs, but instead features covers of songs by Sufjan Stevens, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, Ron Sexsmith and the White Stripes as well as self-penned songs. Scritti Politti's Green Gartside features on a cover of Low's "Taking Down the Tree", as well as writing "Snow in Sun". Ben Watt, who is Thorn's husband and partner in Everything but the Girl, plays on most tracks, and their three children provide backing vocals on the track "Joy".
Tinsel and Lights entered the UK Album charts at number 94 on the 10 November 2012{{Cite web|url = http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/2157/tracey%20thorn/|title = Official Charts Company|date = |accessdate = |website = |publisher = |last = |first = }}
An expanded version was released via iTunes. In addition to the original 12 tracks, it added "25th December" (originally performed by Ben Watt on EBTG's "Amplified Heart" album) as well as acoustic versions of "Joy", "River", and "Tinsel and Lights".
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| MC = 76/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/tinsel-and-lights/tracey-thorn|title=Tinsel And Lights by Tracey Thorn|work=Metacritic|accessdate=16 February 2019}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |last=Jurek |first=Thom |title=Tinsel and Lights - Tracey Thorn |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/tinsel-and-lights-mw0002413323 |access-date=16 February 2019 |website=AllMusic}}
| rev2 = Exclaim!
| rev2score = 7/10{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/tracey_thorn-tinsel_lights|title=Tracey Thorn Tinsel and Lights|work=Exclaim!|first=Michael|last=Edwards|date=30 October 2012|accessdate=16 February 2019}}
}}
Tinsel and Lights received many favourable reviews around the time of its release including a review in The Guardian{{Cite web|title = Tracey Thorn: Tinsel and Lights – review|url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/oct/25/tracey-thorn-tinsel-and-lights-review|website = the Guardian|accessdate = 2015-10-04|first = Alexis|last = Petridis}} and the BBC{{Cite web|title = BBC - Music - Review of Tracey Thorn - Tinsel and Lights|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/zh8r|accessdate = 2015-10-04|first = Wyndham|last = Wallace}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| title1 = Joy
| writer1 = Tracey Thorn
| length1 = 4:00
| title2 = Hard Candy Christmas
| writer2 = Carol Hall
| length2 = 3:24
| title3 = Like a Snowman
| writer3 = Stephin Merritt
| length3 = 2:38
| title4 = Maybe This Christmas
| writer4 = Ron Sexsmith
| length4 = 2:11
| title5 = In the Cold, Cold Night
| writer5 = Jack White
| length5 = 2:38
| title6 = Snow
| writer6 = Randy Newman
| length6 = 2:39
| title7 = Snow in Sun
| writer7 = Green Gartside
| length7 = 2:18
| title8 = Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
| writer8 = Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
| length8 = 3:16
| title9 = Tinsel and Lights
| writer9 = Tracey Thorn
| length9 = 3:26
| title10 = River
| writer10 = Joni Mitchell
| length10 = 3:24
| title11 = Taking Down the Tree
| writer11 = Alan Sparhawk, Mimi Parker, Tracey Thorn
| length11 = 4:10
| title12 = Sister Winter
| writer12 = Sufjan Stevens
| length12 = 4:29
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Flanders|169|artist=Tracey Thorn|album=Tinsel And Lights|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 February 2019}} |
| {{album chart|Sweden|58|artist=Tracey Thorn|album=Tinsel And Lights|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 February 2019}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|94|date=20121110|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 February 2019}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardHeatseekers|3|artist=Tracey Thorn|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 February 2019}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardIndependent|22|artist=Tracey Thorn|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 February 2019}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|488464|Tinsel and Lights}}
- [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/oct/25/tracey-thorn-tinsel-and-lights-review The Guardian, 25 October 2012 Alexis Petridis review]
- [http://www.buzzinfly.com/ecards/tinsel-and-lights.html Buzzin' Fly announcement of album]
{{Tracey Thorn}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2012 Christmas albums