Music
As leader of 2010s indie outfit the Maccabees, Orlando Weeks’s trembly, distinctive vocals marked him out as an unusually tender frontman. His 2020 solo debut A Quickening wears this sentimentality even more proudly, immortalising the joys and nerves of first-time parenthood. Set to atmospheric piano, sleepless nights collide with twinkling milestones, all giddy and endearing in its love for this new family unit. “You’re so new I / Still forget sometimes / That I’ve got you” he sing-sighs on Milk Breath, the gentle swell of horns capturing an intoxicating sense of wonder and pride. It’s not technically a Christmas album, but as a noted Raymond Briggs enthusiast, there is a warm, ruddy-cheeked cosiness to Weeks’s work that always feels like walking in the air. Jenessa Williams
