GENRE; Indie Folk
RELEASE DATE; 25 November, 2025
RATING; 4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
AmurRayz’s “This Time of Year” arrives like a familiar postcard from the festive season: warm, reflective and lightly adorned with hope. Written by Stephen Murray and produced by Michael Crannage, the original single balances accessibility with thoughtful craft. The melody is immediate and singable, and the arrangement respects space as much as sound. From the opening bars the listener is placed within the season’s swirl of anticipation, memory and a gentle melancholic tinge.
Musically the track is modest but rich. Paul Millard’s sax lines thread through the mix with a comforting hush while Mike Hyder’s violin adds a plaintive lift. Lindsay Hamminga’s guitar provides a steady, amber-hued foundation. Vocals from Stephen Murray, Michael Crannage and Kylie Crannage dovetail in a congenial trio that alternates intimacy and communal warmth. The production remains uncluttered so instruments and voices breathe and the narrative occupies centre stage.
Lyrically the song is expansive in its empathy. It catalogues the season; Santa, gatherings, solitude and the swinging between joy and sorrow, without tipping into cliché. Lines about remembering the absent and tending to those in need feel tender rather than prescriptive, and the chorus keeps returning to shared experience: this is a time of year for everyone. The song asks listeners to hold mixed feelings and to embrace both laughter and tears as part of the same celebration.
This Time of Year is an honest seasonal offering: familiar enough to comfort, contemplative enough to linger. AmurRayz, from the Great Southern of Western Australia, has crafted a track suited to hearthside listening and gatherings alike. The melody engages, the lyric encompasses and the performance is human. Listen, sing along, share it with others and let the song hold your fleeting moments—precious, bittersweet and resonant. It rewards repeat listens and quietly becomes part of many people’s holiday soundtracks over time.
Connect with AMURRAYZ on amurrayz.com, Spotify, SoundCloud, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram
