Welcome back to Reviews from the Aural Realms, a series from Other Worlds Than These where I share music and artists that resonate deeply with me—sonically, spiritually, and creatively.
In my last review, I explored Glenda’s Song by Rosewood Boulevard.
With the holiday season settling in—lights in the windows, cold in the air, and that familiar pull toward reflection—it feels like the perfect time to step into something seasonal. Today’s listen is Holiday Songs, a two-track EP from El Drifte.
Discovery & First Impressions
I’ll be honest: I’d never heard of El Drifte before this review. And sometimes that’s exactly what I love about doing Reviews from the Aural Realms—every now and then, a name shows up that feels like a stranger stepping out of the fog, tipping their hat, and quietly daring you to listen.
After a quick look at their website, El Drifte’s own self-description immediately set the tone:
“He’ll blow into town like the cold, north wind…
but before you see him coming, he’ll be gone again.
Is it Country? Is it alt-country? Is it honkytonk? Is it rock and roll? Garage? Indie? Western? Cow punk? Rockabilly? Tex-Mex?The answer is yes. We call it ‘alt-twang’…”
That “the answer is yes” line told me everything I needed to know about the spirit behind the project. This isn’t an artist trying to fit neatly into a single box—it’s someone embracing the full messy spectrum of twang, grit, groove, and swagger, and letting the music land wherever it lands.
And honestly? That’s the kind of premise that works especially well in the holiday season—because even “holiday music” doesn’t have to mean one thing. It can be warm, rough-edged, nostalgic, funny, lonely, or loud. With Holiday Songs, a two-track EP, El Drifte walks in like that north wind… and I was more than willing to see what kind of weather he brought with him.
The artist also shares that “Both songs were written and recorded in a decidedly genre-neutral yet utterly familiar style. Fresh and new yet timeless and classic.”
Track-by-Track Reflections
🌀 Some of the songs featured below may be partof the official Reviews from the Aural Realms Playlist on Spotify. Dive in and listen along.
1. Here the Holidays Is
The opening seconds of “Here the Holidays Is” made me grin—because it comes in swinging with exactly what it promises: jingle bells… with a rockabilly strut. It’s festive, upbeat, and built to move. Sleigh bells sparkle on top of a driving rhythm, and the whole track carries that snappy, toe-tapping energy you’d expect from a band that knows how to turn a room into a dance floor.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit: this style isn’t my usual flair. I don’t live in the rockabilly/honkytonk lane. But that’s also part of what makes reviewing music fun—sometimes a song isn’t trying to be “complex” or “deep,” it’s trying to be joyful, and it succeeds by committing fully to that purpose. And honestly? This one commits.
There’s something wonderfully old-school about it—like a holiday tune filtered through a 1950s/60s American jukebox: warm lights, clinking glasses, boots on hardwood, and that sense that the night is meant for laughing and dancing more than analyzing. It’s the kind of track I can easily imagine playing:
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in a country bar with a little Christmas décor thrown up at the last second,
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in a dance hall where people actually know how to two-step,
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or in the background of a family get-together where the goal is simple: keep the mood light and the smiles coming.
Musically, the band keeps it tight and punchy. The piano and accordion give it that bright, nostalgic color, the drums and sleigh bells drive the seasonal momentum, and the guitars do exactly what they should here—propel the song forward with that classic twangy snap. And the background vocals help sell the hook in a way that makes the whole thing feel communal, like it was designed to be sung back in a crowd.
Credit where it’s due: this EP also comes with clear musician callouts, and it’s always nice to see the full lineup recognized:
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Dave Jacques — Bass Guitar
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Billy Livsey — Piano and Accordion
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Brad Pemberton — Drums and Sleigh Bells
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Justin Weaver — All Six-String Guitars
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Katie Marshall — Background Vocals
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El Drifte — Lead Vocals
And El Drifte’s own description of the track nails the intent perfectly:
“Here the Holidays Is” is a heapin’ helpin’ of jingle bell bliss… an up-tempo, super catchy, fun, joyful, snappy number that’s guaranteed to get stuck in your head like a 1960’s commercial jingle… Inclusivity is the name of the game.
That’s exactly how it lands. This song doesn’t gatekeep the season—it invites you in, whether you celebrate Christmas, something else entirely, or nothing at all. It’s a simple message delivered with a big grin and a swinging rhythm, and sometimes that’s all a holiday song needs to be.
If you’re looking for a track that feels like holiday cheer with a little rockabilly swagger, “Here the Holidays Is” does the job—and does it with genuine enthusiasm.
2. This Year (Wishing You Were Still Here
If “Here the Holidays Is” kicks the doors open with bells and swagger, “This Year (Wishing You Were Still Here)” does the opposite—it steps quietly into the room, sits down beside you, and speaks to the part of the season that doesn’t always make it into the cheerful playlists.
Musically, this one leans away from rockabilly and into something far more classic and timeless—the kind of holiday ballad that feels like it could’ve been spinning on a record player decades ago. In fact, that’s exactly where it took my mind: back to the kind of song my mother would have had on in the house when I was growing up… and truthfully, the kind of thing she’d probably still be playing today if she were still here.
And that’s the moment this song landed for me—because it didn’t just feel like “a holiday song.” It felt like a memory, a warm light in the middle of winter, paired with that familiar ache of absence. The title says it plainly, and I’m not going to pretend it didn’t get to me: yeah… I wish she was still here.
The band’s own description captures the intention perfectly:
A heartfelt, sentimental ballad about navigating the holiday season after losing someone you love… a tender song of mourning but filled with hope, gratitude, and fondness. Though lyrically painted in strokes of Christmas, this song is non-religious and universally relatable, in a similar vein of the great Irving Berlin classic “White Christmas”.
That “White Christmas” comparison makes sense—not because the songs sound identical, but because they share that same emotional foundation: nostalgia, longing, and the quiet sadness that can live right beside gratitude. It’s a song that understands something many of us learn the hard way: the holidays can be beautiful… and still hurt.
Instrumentation-wise, the arrangement supports that sentiment with restraint. The keys—piano, organ, and subtle keyboard textures—carry a gentle warmth, while the rhythm section keeps everything grounded and unforced. The guitars stay supportive rather than flashy, and the background vocals add that soft, human closeness that makes a ballad feel like it’s being sung with you, not at you.
Lineup for this track:
Dave Jacques — Bass Guitar
Billy Livsey — Piano, Organ, Keyboard
Brad Pemberton — Drums
Justin Weaver — All Six-String Guitars
Kim Collins — Background Vocals
El Drifte — Lead Vocals
What I appreciate most is how the song handles grief without becoming heavy-handed. It doesn’t wallow. It doesn’t try to “fix” the feeling. It simply acknowledges it—with tenderness—then lets hope exist alongside it. That’s a hard emotional balance to strike, and “This Year (Wishing You Were Still Here)” does it with sincerity.
In a two-song EP, this track is the emotional anchor—the reminder that the holidays aren’t only about celebration. Sometimes they’re also about remembrance. And sometimes, the most meaningful songs are the ones that give us permission to miss someone… while still holding onto the warmth they left behind.
Final Thoughts
Holiday Songs may only be a two-track EP, but it covers an impressive amount of emotional ground. El Drifte manages to capture two very real sides of the holiday season: the outward joy, energy, and togetherness—and the quieter, more reflective moments that surface when memories and absence take hold.
“Here the Holidays Is” brings warmth, movement, and a sense of communal fun, while “This Year (Wishing You Were Still Here)” gently pulls the listener inward, offering space for remembrance and gratitude. Together, the songs feel thoughtfully paired, not just as seasonal novelties, but as reflections of how the holidays actually feel for many of us—sometimes upbeat and celebratory, sometimes tender and bittersweet, and often both at the same time.
What stands out most to me is the sincerity behind these songs. Nothing here feels forced or overly polished for effect. Instead, El Drifte leans into honesty—whether that honesty shows up as jangling sleigh bells or a quiet, heartfelt ballad. Even though this style isn’t my usual musical lane, I can genuinely appreciate the care, intention, and heart behind the work.
Holiday Songs isn’t trying to redefine the season—it’s simply offering two well-crafted moments within it. And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need: music that meets us where we are, whether we’re gathered together in celebration or sitting quietly with our thoughts.
If you’re looking for a holiday release that balances joy with reflection, El Drifte’s Holiday Songs is worth your time—and perhaps worth adding to your seasonal rotation.
About the Artist
El Drifte feels less like a traditional artist profile and more like a traveling story that never quite stays in one place for long. Minnesota born, Texas refined, and shaped by miles of highway rather than studio walls, he embodies the spirit of a road-worn songwriter—equal parts troubadour, bandleader, and preacher. Singer, strummer, storyteller, and yes, even an ordained minister, El Drifte carries his music directly to the people, sometimes quite literally officiating weddings along the way.
Musically, his sound lives at the crossroads of tradition and rebellion. He calls it “alt-twang,” and the name fits. It’s rooted in honky tonk, country, rock and roll, punk grit, and Americana—but never confined by any single label. You can hear echoes of Bob Wills, Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons, Lucinda Williams, and more, all colliding in songs that feel both timeworn and immediate. Somehow, the result never feels nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake—it feels lived-in.
El Drifte’s journey through music is as restless as his sound. From bar bands in the Minneapolis rock scene of the late ’80s and early ’90s, to a decade tearing up highways with the punk band Fallopian Plummers, to cutting his honky-tonk teeth in Austin after landing there in 1994, his path has been anything but linear. By 2003, he had returned north to launch his own project under the name El Drifte—operating fluidly between Minneapolis, San Antonio, and Nashville. And eventually, as the story goes, the road called again.
There’s a phrase on his site that sums him up perfectly:
“He’ll blow into town like the cold, north wind… but before you see him coming, he’ll be gone again.”
That sense of motion is everywhere in his music. One moment he’s crooning a slow, heartfelt ballad that might bring a tear to your eye; the next he’s driving a raucous, foot-stomping groove meant to shake the floor of a dive bar. His lyrics balance wit, wisdom, and the occasional flash of deviant humor, making his songs accessible without ever feeling watered down.
Listening to El Drifte, you get the sense that he’s not chasing trends or reinventing himself for relevance. He’s simply doing what he’s always done—writing songs, telling stories, and carrying them wherever the road leads next. Old and new at the same time, grounded yet always drifting, El Drifte isn’t just a name—it’s a way of being.
El Drifte is the Drifting Reverend.
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