Last Christmas Cover Review

by Molly Wilson

Fresh Take on a Classic 

Last Christmas by Wham! was released in 1984 and is undoubtedly one of the most iconic, well known, and covered Christmas songs of all time. Last Christmas is about a failed relationship that a person has to face a year later, and the words and title “last Christmas” of course refer to the person facing the failed relationship during the holiday season specifically.

Goldpark are an indie-rock group trio from Nashville. They described the cover of Last Christmas as “Last Christmas one of the first songs that came to our minds when thinking about Christmas songs that we would like to cover,” the band says. “It strikes this interesting balance of being warm and bringing a smile to your face while also giving you a sense of sorrow. Those two things together tend to make a great Christmas song.” I agree with that sentiment and can see why Goldpark chose to cover it. 

image credit to Music Connection

Goldpark’s cover is instrumentally great because of the way the production strikes a balance between the indie style and more traditional Christmas music. Wes Hunter’s vocals are incredible and meld perfectly with the production. Andrew Smith’s guitar riffs and classic indie-rock sound are a welcome spin on the original, and Kyle Neblett is the pulse of the song on drums.

The original song’s 80s sound and composition are what make it distinct. Goldpark’s version pays homage to this while putting their own with their sound on it. I enjoyed the way that they utilized the guitar and included different, but familiar drum lines throughout. The vocals are very well done. They sound extremely crisp, follow the desperation of the 1984 version, and slightly mirror George Michael’s style, but are more rock influenced. 

This works so well because the spin they put in the song includes their indie-rock sound with a poppier sound as well that more mirrors the poppier 1984 version. Ultimately, Goldpark bring the 1984 version’s poppy Christmas-y feel while mixing in their more modern indie-rock sound. 

This will definitely be going on my Christmas playlist and become a seasonal staple! Stream Goldpark’s Last Christmas cover if you want to feel festive too. You can check out the cover on all streaming platforms.