As any compilation threatens to do, Rhinoâs yuletide entry for Just Canât Get Enough is all peaks and valleys. For all of the genuinely fun, oddball glories like XTCâs âThanks for Christmasâ and Mono Puffâs âCareless Santa,â thereâs the dreariness of Root Boy Slimâs âXmas at K-Martâ and whatever the hell Wall of Voodooâs âShouldnât Have Gotten Him a Gun for Christmas.â For a collection thatâs primarily around New Wave and its shiny innovations, New Wave Christmas is curiously devoid of genuine hallmarks from the genre.
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Sure, you get the Pretendersâ aching â2000 Miles,â the Poguesâ rebellious and romantic âFairytale of New York,â and the eternally weird meet-up of Bing Crosby and David Bowie, but whereâs the likes of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts âLittle Drummer Boyâ or the Waitressâ âChristmas Wrappingâ? Iâd happily trade you They Might Be Giants and Timbuk 3 for either one of those songs. Or even the curiously staid version of âLittle Drummer Boyâ offered up here by Miracle Legion.
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But New Wave Christmas does find room for lesser known little gems to appear at random. Los Lobosâ Tejano-infused âRudolph the Manic Reindeerâ does the Venturesâ similar guitar-fueled take proud and adds a bit of flavor. The Buzz of Delightâs âChristmasâ really lives up to the bandâs name by giving the collection some much needed power pop pep. SUN 60âs âMary X-Messâ is just a delightful weirdo that is buried far too deeply in this collection. Â
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Perhaps this one never quite congeals into a coherent listening experience, but thereâs plenty of rarities and fascinating (not always good) curios here to keep things moving. If you canât abide another version of a well-worn classic, like âWhite Christmasâ or âWinter Wonderland,â then hereâs a nice set of alternatives. Now, if youâll excuse me, Iâve got to go hum âFairytale of New Yorkâ for the rest of the day.
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DOWNLOAD: The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl â âFairytale of New York,â Bing Crosby and David Bowie â âLittle Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth,â The Buzz of Delight â âChristmasâ