Various Artists: Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Xmas

Rhino's holiday albums tend to be among the most diverse and generous available, and this 17-song collection continues in that tradition. But there's more than a little bit of false advertising at work here: How does a Los Lobos instrumental ("Rudolph The Manic Reindeer")—or, for that matter, a marvelous David Bowie/Bing Crosby classic ("Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy")—constitute anything even remotely "new wave" Tell it like it is, Rhino: It's Just Can't Get Enough: Xmas Songs Recorded By Musicians Who Got College-Radio Airplay In The 1980s. That's a fine concept in and of itself, and it's not nearly as misleading. As for the music, there really aren't too many rarities here—and even if there were, how many people were clamoring for a Miracle Legion twist on "Little Drummer Boy" New Wave Xmas is thorough and listenable, but it's far from essential.