Various Artists: Maybe This Christmas : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

On Maybe This Christmas contemporary artists revamp holiday standards and debut their own holiday ditties. Phantom Planet give "Winter Wonderland" an alternative makeover, Coldplay apply their moody sound to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and Jack Johnson adds acoustic flair (and some of his own lyrics) to "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." Ben Folds' self-scribed "Bizarre Christmas Incident" is like the rum in your eggnog with its morbid yet comic tale of Santa's demise, and Jimmy Eat World's simple "12/23/95" weaves a dreamy apology for standing someone up during the holidays. The only detractor is Vanessa Carlton's overly melodramatic cover of "Greensleeves." Otherwise, the album is full of simultaneously refreshing and nostalgic songs.

KRISTIN ROTH
(December 10, 2002)