Bryony Sier has entered early into the festive season with a faithful adaptation of a Christmas novella. ‘Picture Not So Perfect’ is titled after Stephanie O’Neil’s debut publication, and retells the story of protagonist Holly in charming detail. It is essentially a love story in which Holly, after losing her mother at a young age on December 17th, rediscovers the beauty of Christmas thanks to a chance opportunity with the charming Justin. Sier captures their relationship neatly in lyrics that are full of heart; sometimes bordering on the saccharine. She tells the tale with vocals that burst with so much emotion though that any hint of soppiness quickly turns instead into magical imagery. Mulled wine, snow and ice skating all feature but it is the overall feeling that comes across in the soaring music that speaks of the spirit of Christmas. It produces a warm glow that resounds with hope, not quite in a cheesy jingle bells way, but rather with a surprising depth of emotion to make ‘Picture Not So Perfect’ an ideal track to fall back in love with the coming season.

Originally written for and published on Belles & Gals on November 26th 2022.