For some, Christmas music brings back memories of simpler times, of family gathered happily around a warm fire on a cold winter’s night. Others find it annoying at best, like Halloween candy. Sweet and satisfying for the first few bites, it soon leaves you feeling bloated, short-tempered, and just waiting for the pain to recede. Anyone who has rushed around the mall trying to find last-minute gifts the week before Christmas while being subjected to “Feliz Navidad” for the 500th time probably falls in the latter category.

Even in this relatively hostile environment, lounge-jazz-indie-pop combo Pink Martini decided to wade into the ocean of holiday albums with their fifth release, Joy to the World. In typical Pink Martini fashion, they tackle the 14 tracks using a variety of different musical genres and singing in several languages. Yet, through it all, despite the eclecticism, the album does not sound like a compilation; it sounds like one band. Continue reading »