It’s never easy to make an original Christmas song a successful single (and, for that matter, vice versa), but for The Imaginaries’ Maggie McClure and Shane Henry, it comes as second nature in the all-new single and music video “First Thing on My Christmas List.” In the video for “First Thing on My Christmas List,” The Imaginaries work to encapsulate the same winter-themed lushness that their balladic melodies in the song itself do, and without having to break the bank in the process, they illustrate the sense of togetherness that has been synonymous with the holiday season for centuries.
Everything in this track is designed around the vocal harmonies, and having fallen in love with them myself (and after a mere casual listen, I might add), I can understand why. It’s not that “First Thing on My Christmas List” is lacking in instrumental embellishments – quite the contrary; in fact, I would say that this song has just as many fireworks going on outside of the lead vocals as it does within the individual verses. The truth is, when you get folks of Henry and McClure’s caliber together in the studio, it’s hard to steer the limelight away from what they do better than almost anything else, regardless of how fanciful a backdrop may or may not be.
Listeners don’t have to worry when it comes to getting their holiday soundtrack needs met – in “First Thing on My Christmas List,” The Imaginaries pull out of the stops to give us everything that most will require to get the season started (and finished) right inside of a simple, three minute-plus pop song. Hometown Christmas, which is the album this track can be found on, is full of mightily melodic tunes like this one, but if it’s the bread and butter of these two troubadours’ sound that you seek, this single and its companion video are honestly about as good as it gets.
