Search - Various Artists :: Wild Christmas

Contemporary pop in all of its overproduced and formulaic glory makes its case in the Christmas category with mixed results. Although the 11 songs here are radio-made for the pop charts, there are few that have the staying power for truly great Christmas songs and performances. "Wild Christmas," the title track by Dream Street's Chris Trousdale, might be one exception with its woozy hooks, sugar-driven dance beat, and programmed percussion. Taylor Momsen, Myra, and Camille Winbush team up for a pretty rendition of "One Small Voice," while Evan Rachel Wood's memorable "Christmas Isn't Christmas Without You" packs the kind of balanced production techniques that are just short of in-your-face although her loaded sexuality sends the whole song into hyper-drive. In an interesting but finally forgettable mix of metal and pop, Lynsey Bartilson's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" reminds the listener just how hard it is to force another genre on a timeless classic no matter how much tinsel and overdubs are hung on it.