They Might Be Giants

Hot on the heels of their Mink Car album and their success with the Malcolm in the Middle theme comes They Might Be Giants' Holidayland EP, which collects the holiday-themed songs that John Linell and John Flansburgh have recorded over the years. Longtime TMBG fans will recognize "Santa's Beard" from Lincoln or Then: The Earlier Years, and the song's quirky-yet-rockin' sound captures the appeal of the group's late-'80s/early-'90s work perfectly. The sweetly spare toy piano and drum machine-based "Feast of Lights" originally appeared on the Chanukah compilation Festival of Light, Vol. 2, while "Careless Santa" comes from Unsupervised, the debut album from Flansburgh's side project Mono Puff. The group's version of "O Tannenbaum" -- sung in German, natch -- also achieves the blend of braininess and warm fuzzies of TMBG's best work. Unfortunately, the EP's newest track, a cover of the Sonics' "Santa Claus," is also the most unremarkable, but overall Holidayland will please the They Might Be Giants fans who don't already own these fun, festive songs. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide