Despite already teasing a fresh single for the new year, Halifax’s Nathaniel Cole didn’t waste the opportunity to surprise us with a little Christmas magic this morning. While “Spend It Right” sounds like the sort of tune you’d listen to while celebrating the holidays aboard a G8, the message is decidedly one of an anti-capitalist nature, with Cole reminding us that the best gift we can give over the holidays is our time.
Cole combines the less conventional Holiday pairing of synth marimba and sleigh bells, before dropping in a beat before delivering a festive “I don’t need no presents sitting under that, I just want to have you here with me.” It’s not exactly Bing Crosby – it’s not even Wham! – but the point that Cole makes has become an increasingly important one. The 2019 lifestyle is one that has dwindled away our free moments to something resembling mid-19th century labour practices, with most of us losing hours simply by staring at our phones like it was second job.
“‘Spend it Right’ is my take on a Holiday tune,” says Cole. “Addressing the capitalist obligations we feel to give gifts that are somehow proportional to our love and respect for the recipient. And the fact that we see them only a few times a year on those occasions to exchange items of value. To me, that time spent with friends and family holds much more value than an item. Be sure to appreciate that time. Spend it right.
“I mean, I love the ability for free market and the ‘North American dream,’ but there is a threshold that gets crossed when it’s more than just feeding your family and forwarding culture/humanity. It turns to greed.”
So, this Christmas, make sure to buy local, turn off your phones and spend sometime being present with your family. Your corporate overlords will still be there after the holidays.
Nathaniel Cole’s upcoming single, “Suffocate,” is expected to be released early in the new year.