Everything But the Girl's Tracey Thorn Covers White Stripes, Sufjan, Low, More on Christmas Album

Former Everything But the Girl singer Tracey Thorn is following up 2010's Love and Its Opposite with her very own Christmas album. Tinsel and Lights is out October 30 via Merge in the U.S. and Strange Feeling in the UK. In addition to two original songs, it features covers of songs by the White Stripes, Sufjan Stevens, Randy Newman, Stephin Merritt, Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, Low, and others. (Not every song is a "Christmas" song in the strictest sense of the term.)

The album features contributions from Thorn's Everything But the Girl bandmate Ben Watt and Green Gartside of Scritti Politti. Here's Thorn's statement about the record:

“I've always wanted to make a Christmas record. Every year, when the Christmas albums start appearing in November, I get jealous and wish I had one coming out. Last year, I made a resolution to get recording in January to be ready for the following Christmas. And so that's just what I did. They're not all strictly Christmas songs, but if they mentioned winter or snow or even just being cold, that was good enough for me.”

Below, watch Thorn perform "Late in the Afternoon" from Love and Its Opposite.

Tinsel and Lights:

01 Joy [written by Tracey Thorn]
02 Hard Candy Christmas [Dolly Parton cover]
03 Like a Snowman [written by Stephin Merritt]
04 Maybe This Christmas [Ron Sexsmith cover]
05 In the Cold, Cold Night [White Stipes cover]
06 Snow [written by Randy Newman]
07 Snow in Sun [written by Green Gartside of Scritti Politti]
08 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
09 Tinsel and Lights [written by Tracey Thorn]
10 River [Joni Mitchell cover]
11 Taking Down the Tree [ft. Green Gartside] [Low cover]
12 Sister Winter [Sufjan Stevens cover]
13 25th December [Everything But the Girl] (U.S. LP bonus track)