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As any compilation threatens to do, Rhino’s yuletide entry for Just Can’t Get Enough is all peaks and valleys. For all of the genuinely fun, oddball glories like XTC’s “Thanks for Christmas” and Mono Puff’s “Careless Santa,” there’s the dreariness of Root Boy Slim’s “Xmas at K-Mart” and whatever the hell Wall of Voodoo’s “Shouldn’t Have Gotten Him a Gun for Christmas.” For a collection that’s primarily around New Wave and its shiny innovations, New Wave Christmas is curiously devoid of genuine hallmarks from the genre.
Sure, you get the Pretenders’ aching “2000 Miles,” the Pogues’ rebellious and romantic “Fairytale of New York,” and the eternally weird meet-up of Bing Crosby and David Bowie, but where’s the likes of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts “Little Drummer Boy” or the Waitress’ “Christmas Wrapping”? I’d happily trade you They Might Be Giants and Timbuk 3 for either one of those songs. Or even the curiously staid version of “Little Drummer Boy” offered up here by Miracle Legion.
But New Wave Christmas does find room for lesser known little gems to appear at random. Los Lobos’ Tejano-infused “Rudolph the Manic Reindeer” does the Ventures’ similar guitar-fueled take proud and adds a bit of flavor. The Buzz of Delight’s “Christmas” really lives up to the band’s name by giving the collection some much needed power pop pep. SUN 60’s “Mary X-Mess” is just a delightful weirdo that is buried far too deeply in this collection.
Perhaps this one never quite congeals into a coherent listening experience, but there’s plenty of rarities and fascinating (not always good) curios here to keep things moving. If you can’t abide another version of a well-worn classic, like “White Christmas” or “Winter Wonderland,” then here’s a nice set of alternatives. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go hum “Fairytale of New York” for the rest of the day.
DOWNLOAD: The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl – “Fairytale of New York,” Bing Crosby and David Bowie – “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth,” The Buzz of Delight – “Christmas”
