Drawing us in with luscious and ethereal choral vocals, expanding into a folk-pop frequency with a sublime strings arrangement and guitar, AmurRayz opens The Time of Year with timeless prose as we experience the lyrics, “Christmas comes and then New Year, we share our love and shed a tear, I sing a song for far and near, thinking of those gone and here…”
In essence, the overarching sentiment of the song creates a warm and heartfelt portrait of the holiday season. It blends joy and nostalgia with notions of gentle sadness. The lyrics highlight how Christmas and New Year bring people together whilst also stirring memories of those who are no longer present.
This balance of love and longing feels deeply human. It gives the song an emotional maturity and authenticity that feels cinematic and easy to connect with. There is no doubt that the track would be perfect for a Hallmark or Netflix Christmas movie. A key strength of the lyrics is the way they capture the many ways people experience this season. AmurRayz definitely handles this emotional range with tenderness.
The creators confess how This Time of Year is an ode to Christmas and New Year from every angle. They say, “This is Christmas New Year from many angles – happy, joyous, gathering, thoughtful, loving, tearful, embracing, evanescent, youthful, melancholic, loving, and sharing. The melody is engaging, and singable. The lyrics are encompassing, and relatable. The song is for each and everyone.”
We learn that AmurRayz features saxophone by Paul Millard, violin by Mike Hyder, guitar by Lindsay Hamminga, and vocals by Stephen Murray, Michael Crannage, and Kylie Crannage! The song is also written by Stephen Murray and produced by Michael Crannage.
We love what AmurRayz are creating, and have added This Time of Year to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, as we head into the festive season, and continue to stream the wider discography of AmurRayz, including Drought and Desire, and Noise of War!