The music of venerable lounge-pop sensation Juan Garcia Esquivel! is always frothy and appealing, and the Mexican bandleader's Merry Xmas From The Space-Age Bachelor Pad is no exception to that rule. Esquivel's 28-minute Christmas chestnut (gleaned from largely forgotten recordings made between 1959 and 1962) is the latest manifestation of renewed interest in '50s and '60s cocktail kitsch. Of course, Esquivel! sticks primarily to fluffier holiday fare here, adding that all-important kitsch value by opening and closing the album with spoken-word messages to his listeners. And for Cocktail Nation hipsters, his opening narration is backed by a version of "Jingle Bells" by Miss Lily Banquette and The Millionaire of the like-minded (and Esquivel!-worshipping) Combustible Edison. It's far from substantial, but like most all of his stuff, Merry Xmas is a deliriously enjoyable confection.