A familiar face on our blog, Californian singer-songwriter Larry Karpenko has had an incredibly productive year, with a stream of singles showcasing all of his artistic and musical prowess. In fact, writing about ‘Ladybug Field’ a few months ago, we proudly celebrated Karpenko as offering “an impressive showcase of musicianship, one that also involves a great deal of blissful lyrical imagery and soothing delivery.” Well, such productivity certainly doesn’t stop now, with Larry topping off 2025 with a wonderful Christmas album.
‘Celebrate the King’ is exactly that: a twelve-track extended record packed with seasonal classics and original compositions. Steeped in heartwarming lyricism and aural tenderness, the album feels relatable and familiar, yet never truly descending into holiday-powered clichés. That’s quite impressive, as Karpenko manages to keep a Christmas record interesting. Episodes such as ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ transcend the boundaries of what’s supposed to be in a record like that, embracing a gloomy and intense dark-pop character.
Delving deeper into ‘Celebrate the King’, Karpenko explains: “This project became a way to honour the season’s beauty and depth, while allowing my creativity to flow freely into arrangements that felt both nostalgic and new. I wanted to celebrate the joy, wonder, and reverence of Christmas through music that could speak to families gathered around the tree, worshippers in quiet reflection, and children dancing in the living room.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Celebrate the King’ on Spotify:
