The second release from this German label is available just in time to combat numerous other obnoxious holiday releases. Attention record store clerks: demand this gets played instead of those goddamned 'Very Special Christmas' or Mariah Carey albums.

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While a number of these songs appear elsewhere already (see Mobile's other collection, 'Asthmatic Worm'), the selection is a fine one. Low have gratiously provided "Long Way Around the Sea," from their 'Christmas' EP while Hood have given the fantastic acoustic + violin number, "Winter Will Set You Back." Saint Etienne have lent their organ and reverb-heavy "My Christmas Prayer," from their 'I Was Born on Christmas Day' single while Badly Drawn Boy's "Donna and Blitzen" (last year's one-sided Christmas 7") appears for the first time on a CD. New songs include (Kings of Convenience singer) Erland Øye's tasteful acoustic rendition of that trecherous Wham! abomination, "Last Christmas," some tasty morsels from Morr Music superstars: the instrumental "Catch a Snowflake," by Herrmann & Kleine, "Snow Story," by Opiate, and the album closer by Múm, "Nóttin Va Svo Ágæt Ein," which makes me feel like I just got lost in the snow and am being buried alive in shivering cold white powder. Once again, Mobile's compilation comes in a book format: this one includes a printing of "Auggie Wren's Christmas Story" (see the film 'Smoke'). I can't wait to have another hot cider party this year and play this record. Yum. (For the hot cider recipe, dig through The Brain archives.)

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