Brew the chamomile and don your fluffiest socks. As students transition into colder days and the appeal of hibernation intensifies, everyone could benefit from a little escape.
To facilitate a cozier winter, the Charlatan’s staff and contributors have produced some insightful media recommendations to keep you comfortable over the break.
Owen Spillios-Hunter: Photos editor, Volume 53
Growing up, I never really liked Christmas music. My house had a moratorium on the stuff until Dec. 3 — my sister’s birthday. My high school retail job at Bootlegger only further cemented my disdain. I couldn’t care less about a washed-up pop star’s modern rendition of classic Christmas tunes.
One exception to my rule is the Barenaked Ladies album Barenaked For The Holidays. Don’t let the name dissuade you, this is the best holiday album of all time. It has so much going for it:
The best rendition of “Jingle Bells” ever? Check.
Amazing collab with Sarah McLachlan? Check.
Commentary on elf labour practices? Triple check.
I hope you’ll join me in listening to this iconic, Canadian, multi-faith holiday album on repeat as I do every year. Not before December, though!
Janson Duench: Sports editor, Volume 53
Jack Black starred in several smash-hit films in the 2000s, but it’s the humble Nacho Libre that will forever stand as one of my favourite movies.
“Beneath the clothes, we find a man and beneath the man, we find his … nucleus.”
The film follows Ignacio (Black), a good-hearted cook in a Mexican monastery with limited funds to properly feed the orphans it hosts. To raise money, Ignacio secretly becomes a Luchador, which is forbidden by the church.
Chock-full of hilarious gags and endlessly quotable lines, Black’s unique flair and absurdity shine brightly alongside co-star Héctor Jiménez. Also on display is Black’s considerable musical talent, starring the gut-busting “Singing At The Party” and the profound ballad “Encarnación.”
While this is, first and foremost, a goofy hour and 32 minutes of Jack Black antics, it’s also full of heart. When I want to “take it easy,” this simple story of unlikely heroism, responsibility and redemption always leaves me with a smile.
Kyra Vellinga: Arts and culture editor, Volume 53
For queer folk like myself who grew up in highly religious spaces, travelling home for winter holidays carries a kaleidoscope of emotion and memories. Amongst the cheer, withdrawal, nostalgia and reflection, I gravitate to Semler.
As an alternative Christian musician, gender-nonconforming lesbian and preacher’s kid, Semler is a bit of an anomaly. Crafting sapphic symbolism from religious iconography, Semler writes acute, playful lyrics offering unabashed permission to embrace all your feelings.
When yearning for forbidden queer romance inside a church service, look no further than “Christmas Comes Too Early.” For those in pockets of transition or questioning this winter, the delicate ballad “I’d Rather Be A Ghost” presents a moment of rest.
Listening to one of my favourite Semler tunes, “Late Bloomer,” on a plane ride home in first-year was a transformative experience. With a grooving rhythm and the repetitive “baby bloom, baby bloom, baby bloom,” the track is a conversation amongst all variations of Semler’s evolving, queer self. Physically changing locations often accompanies the winter season. When holding space for past and present versions of yourself while residing in multiple places, I can’t recommend “Late Bloomer” enough.
Isabelle Alexandre: Podcast host, Volume 53
The frosty cold temperatures, exams and assignments are a recipe for a horrible winter. For me, there is only a sliver of hope remaining for the long winter ahead: watching Love Actually a dozen times.
Growing up, Love Actually was always my favourite comfort movie. It encapsulates all types of love and the different ways in which love can come into your life — which is often how you least expect it.
I have lived in six different countries and experienced constant homesickness and longing to be elsewhere. As an international student, this feeling lingers. However, every time I watch the scene in Love Actually where families reunite at the airport, hugging their loved ones, it’s a reminder that I can look forward to the same.
“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems, to me, that love is everywhere.”
If you’re looking for an album to keep you warm and cozy this winter, look no further than The 1975’s Being Funny In A Foreign Language. This album truly has something for everyone, from upbeat hits, thoughtful ballads and even an eccentric Christmas song.
On grey winter days, try “Happiness” and “Looking For Somebody (To Love),” which are sure to brighten your spirits with upbeat melodies. If you’re ready to feel all the feels, turn on “Human Too” and “When We Are Together” for mellow grooves and lyrics guaranteed to deliver an emotional gut punch.
And for those of you, like me, whose love of traditional Christmas music was spoiled after one too many Christmas seasons working in retail, give “Wintering” a listen. You’ll be vividly transported to Matty Healy’s living room, where it becomes hard not to empathize with the joys and eccentricities he shares about returning home to spend Christmas with his family.
Jonah Grignon: Podcast host, Volume 53
I’ve always been a total nerd for a good fantasy novel. Back when I was 14 years old, I distinctly remember reading chapters of Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World, part of The Wheel of Time series, on winter nights after it had gotten dark.
Even though it’s about a group of teenagers leaving their homes and going on an epic quest, something about The Eye of the World always felt homey and cozy to me. Maybe it’s the way the novel begins in winter, with many scenes taking place in a warm tavern, or how nice it is to read about an adventure when you’re stuck at home.
The Wheel of Time and winter always seem to go hand-in-hand for me. I re-read it two years ago as an adult and it gave me the exact same cozy joy as it did when I was 14.
Sadeen Mohsen: Contributor, Volume 53
To me, Matt Maltese is the human embodiment of sitting by the warm fireplace on a snowy, winter morning with open books around you. His songs are poems about various topics, including love and loss.
Full of heartache, emotion and a light touch of humour, his discography is enough to make me want to curl up on the couch and dreamingly watch vinyls spin ‘round my record player. Maltese puts me in the giddiest, dazed mood. I suggest having a plate of cookies, fruit and tea to put you in the ultimate mood alongside Maltese.
Elissa Mendes: News editor, Volume 53
Nothing brings me more comfort than the cult-favourite comedy-drama Fleabag. If you love romantic tension, British accents and raw depictions of the female experience, this is the show for you. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a truly gifted writer and actress, and her brilliance shines through the show’s two seasons. I promise you’ll wish there were more.
Hearing Unreal Unearth for the first time after waiting years for new Hozier content was truly like seeing light for the first time. The new album lives up to its name—every song is absolutely unreal.
Hozier has once again produced a no-skip album; this time taking listeners through the nine circles of hell as depicted in Dante’s Inferno and culminating in a dark and poetic analogy for heartbreak.
Considering Hozier was my top artist in my Spotify Wrapped this year, I think you can tell just how much this album damaged me. Some notable highlights that make me especially emo include the transition between “De Selby (Part 1)” and “De Selby (Part 2),” the harrowing build-up in “Unknown / Nth” and the gospel-like reminder that “All Things End.”
If you haven’t listened yet, I’d definitely recommend listening to the songs in order to get the full effect. You’ll be anything but sorry.
Ryan Clark: Op/ed editor, Volume 53
Port Angeles, WA’s The Dear Hunter is a band known for ambitious projects. They have created EPs for every colour of the rainbow, as well as a five-album series following the narrative of the titular ‘Dear Hunter.’ And then, deep in their discography is Migrant.
When Migrant was released, it was generally viewed as the weakest album by Casey Crescenzo and crew, despite relative streaming success. The lack of praise the album received from fans led to the band essentially blocking the project from their minds.
That is, until 2023, when the band re-recorded the project under the name Migrant Returned. This special version of Migrant featured a new track order of all the classics, as well as polished-up versions of unreleased tracks.
There are many impressive cuts on this record, but “Owls” has to be the standout, especially for a winter’s day. The song tackles themes of loneliness and the search for a genuine connection, while also being about the titular bird. The track’s finale gives me goosebumps every time, as it features Casey’s vocals at their crispest and most vulnerable.
Alisha Velji: Graphics editor, Volume 53
A recent EP that has me in a festive mood is fruitcake by Sabrina Carpenter.
With playful and deep tunes, fruitcake is on repeat for me this holiday season. My personal favourite song off of the six-track EP has got to be “A Nonsense Christmas.” As a fan of Carpenter’s original, online sensation, “Nonsense,” “A Nonsense Christmas” is a fun little Christmas parody that gets stuck in my head after each listen.
This season, I’m listening to this EP (mixed in with a lot of Red (Taylor’s Version)) to boost my mood when studying for finals.
Emily McGrath: Managing editor, Volume 53
Jessica Pratt – Jessica Pratt (2012)
If you’re anything like me, you may feel the deep urge to be swept up in the poetic lyrics of a good singer-songwriter the moment the temperature drops below 10 C. There is a wisdom present in Jessica Pratt’s lyricism that can only be described as a spirit channelling messages to whoever has the privilege to be on her wavelength. The imperfectly picked folky guitar and raw, sweet vocals will bring you into an ethereal, almost meditative space outside the interruptions of the modern world. Grab your favourite journal and sink into yourself. Go for a brisk walk. Feel the cold air and bright afternoon sun on your face. Listen and just be.
Feels like: a bright morning spent intimately under the covers with a lover, hot steam emanating off of a freshly brewed cup of tea, quiet, private moments of somber self-discovery.
Must listens: “Night Faces,” “Bushel Hyde,” “Half Twain the Jesse,” “Mother Big River”
You might also like: Linda Perhacs’ Parallelograms, Adrianne Lenker’s abysskiss, Sufjan Stevens’ Seven Swans.
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Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism
We all have music that enters our lives at just the right time to stick with us forever. On my first listen to Transatlanticism back in my early teen years, I remember feeling things I could not put a name to because I had yet to experience them. Blinded by my youth, I felt the deepest ache for the people I would meet and the things I would do in the life ahead of me. If I could describe this album in one word, it would be yearning. Each song explores this feeling through sweeping guitar patterns and melancholic piano chords in soundscapes of pure tenderness. Attempts to uncover the existential truth of human experience present in the lyrics are sure to be relatable to nearly anyone who has walked this earth.
Feels like: moving away from home for the first time into a dorm with a minor pest problem, crunching dead leaves under your feet in boots you’re just shy of outgrowing, love letters from a past life collecting dust in a shoebox shoved under the bed.
Must listens: “Expo ‘86,” “We Looked Like Giants,” “Tiny Vessels,” “Transatlanticism.”
You might also like: Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot it in People.
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Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights
I first heard Interpol’s “PDA” for the first time in my youth when I played RockBand 2 on my cousin’s Nintendo Wii and I never looked back. There’s no getting around the dynamic atmosphere of Turn On the Bright Lights. With killer bass lines and punchy drums, this post-punk dream will have you angst-ily stomping your way to your three-hour evening class to one of the strongest rhythm sections of all time. Its sharp guitar licks and shoegaze-y sheen boast huge emotional swells and a tension that builds and builds but is never quite resolved.
Must listens: “Untitled,” “PDA,” “Stella was a diver and she was always down,” “Obstacle 1.”
Feels like: Walking through the city streets at night under an umbrella that does nothing to stop you from getting soaked, smoking on the balcony while the sounds of a house party bleed through the glass door.
You might also like: DIIV’s Oshin, Sonic Youth’s Rather Ripped.
Featured graphic by Alisha Velji/the Charlatan.
