Erasure: She Will Not Be Home For Christmas (Sire Records/1988)

Erasure's holiday offering comes from their Crackers International EP. It's basically a song that takes at the holidays as opposed to being a Christmas song, per se. It's decent little song. Musically it sounds like quintessential Erasure; bright and danceable synth-pop.  The B-Side is a version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman". I'd say, avoid this and gravitate towards lowest-common denominator Erasure; the hit singles.

Payola$: Christmas Is Coming (A&M/1983)

From their third album, Hammer On A Drum, Vacouver's Payola$ released this Holiday gem in 1983. It's a mid-tempo love song filled with longing and loss, reverb on the snare and chorused guitars. It was the 80's thank you very much. It's a fine song, Holiday-themed or not. Nice, logical chord progressions in the verses. It was released on nice clear green vinyl in the US. Not too much to say other than it's not regarded as a holiday classic and it's a damned shame that it isn't.

Recommended holiday listening.