On their penultimate album, Apple Venus Volume 1, XTC added lush and thick orchestration that would make George Martin blush. Indeed, XTC fans are often Beatles fans and consider the groups interchangeable as best ever. Admittedly, XTC songs take a little more work to enjoy than the immediately accessible Beatles’ music, but once you latch onto an XTC song, you’ve made a dear friend for life.
Yet “Harvest Festival” channels more of a Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds emotionally resonant feel in Andy Partridge’s aching and heartfelt lyric. The song itself concerns a recurring theme from XTC songs of a boy who works with his hands, but doesn’t earn much, falling in love in an English village. At the autumn soiree, the boy locks eyes with the aristocratic girl he likes, and she in turn shoots him a longing look. Though their love will go on unrequited, the moment is enough to keep him warm all through the coming winter.
When he sings the chorus, It’s as compelling and gorgeous of a vocal performance from Andy Partridge as you’ll ever hear. The song fades with a chorus of children playing a counter melody of penny whistles. It’s a song that gets stuck in your head, and you’ll be glad that it did.
Update: By a strange twist of serendipity, Apple Venus Volume 1 began appearing on streaming services days after the publication of this post. The song’s longing looks are now more easily available, while we are still dreaming of a time when the song didn’t stream.
