"Winter Solstice," Phoenix (Glassnote)

This French synth-pop-rock band is probably best known for their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. For 2022 they dropped this tune as part of their latest album Alpha Zulu, and though it's not strictly a holiday tune, it fits nicely with the recent trend of "winter" albums we've noted here for some time now. As you might expect, the pensive mood is provided via synths and electronic drums, but its fast tempo will set toes a-tapping. Pitchfork notes this is the only tune from the album that they recorded remotely, sending tracks around to the group members in the way that has been technically possible for a while now but really became popular during the COVID pandemic. Check it out.