Critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated artist Hiss Golden Messenger will release a new kind of holiday album with O Come All Ye Faithful this Friday, October 22. Listen to the soulful folk of the Hiss Golden Messenger holiday original “Grace” now. Pre-orders of O Come All Ye Faithful are shipping out now from the Merge store on CD and LP as well as the limited Peak Vinyl edition which includes a 12-inch featuring dub remixes of six tracks from the LP.

Of the new track, Hiss Golden Messenger’s M.C. Taylor had this to say: 

“‘Grace’ is about keeping a light for those that are struggling or lost or confused or grieving: the gone ones, our children, poets, teachers. My friends Nathaniel Rateliff, Aoife O’Donovan and Sonyia Turner help me on the choruses.”

Conceptualized and written during the chaotic fall months of 2020, O Come All Ye Faithful is a meditation on grace, loss, hope, and community. Hiss Golden Messenger leader, songwriter, and vocalist M.C. Taylor talks about the inspiration for O Come All Ye Faithful: “Big, brash holiday music—the type that we hear in big-box stores in the middle of December—has never resonated with me, and this past year it felt absolutely dissonant. I wanted to make a seasonal record that felt more in step with the way that I, and so many others, experience this time of year: quiet, contemplative, searching, and bittersweet.” Taylor adds, “The intention was to make a seasonal record with vibe.”

Contributors to O Come All Ye Faithful include members of Hiss Golden Messenger’s extended family, as well as special guests that include Grammy Award-winner Aoife O’Donovan, Nathaniel Rateliff, Erin Rae, and Buddy Miller.

O Come All Ye Faithful features three new songs written by Taylor, traditional classics, and new renditions of “Shine a Light” by Spiritualized, “As Long As I Can See the Light” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and “Hanukkah Dance” by Woody Guthrie, all arranged in the distinctive Hiss Golden Messenger style.

O Come All Ye Faithful comes on the heels of the widely acclaimed album Quietly Blowing It, which was released in June 2021. Quietly Blowing It garnered critical praise with four-star reviews running throughout the US and overseas, including Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, MOJO, The Guardian, The Independent, and more. Positive coverage ran in The New York Times, The Associated Press, Consequence, No Depression, and much more. Hiss Golden Messenger appeared on CBS Saturday Morning and was the subject of a feature segment on NPR Weekend Edition. 

photo: Chris Frisina