[Note: This was physically printed only twice, and in limited quantities both times. However, Relient K now has a full-length, fully-released Christmas record called Let It Snow Baby… Let It Reindeer, which incorporates these tracks plus more.]
Well, as usual, Relient K mixes their unique blend of seriousness and humor into these songs— breathing utterly fresh new life into some Christmas classics, and also inventing some of their own.
The EP starts off with a great version of “Angels We Have Heard On High”.
“Deck The Halls” is next, and it’s probably one of the shortest versions of this song ever made! (Just the first verse and chorus. 
)
“12 Days Of Christmas” is definitely a humorous version. They add in their own amusing chorus after every few ‘days’, and they also do other funny things, such as sounding different during every recitation of “5 Golden Rings” (including not saying it once, and once saying each word backward), singing the entire 11th day in a hilarious falsetto, and literally screaming out all of the numbers on the 12th!
“Silent Night / Away In A Manger” puts aside the humor for a moment and mellows out a bit; this two-song medley is piano-driven. It’s a very nice track, and it leads directly into the next song (“I Celebrate The Day”) without a pause.
“I Celebrate The Day” is an absolutely beautiful song that Matt Thiessen wrote straight from his heart. It’s one of the best songs Relient K has ever done.
“We Wish You A Merry Christmas” brings back the rock. Relient K made up their own verses, although of course they still used the original chorus. This is a great version.
“Santa Clause Is Thumbing To Town” is another Matt Thiessen creation… and it’s hilarious. The story of this song is that on Christmas Eve, everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong up at the North Pole, and now (among other things) Santa is sleigh-less, having to try and hitchhike to everyone’s homes.
“Handel’s Messiah (The Hallelujah Chorus)” is next, and it’s awesome! With chugging guitars and humorous vocals, it’s fast-paced, funny, and totally rocking. It’s absolutely, hands-down, the coolest version of Handel’s Messiah that we’ve heard!
“I Hate Christmas Parties” is one more Matty T. creation. What’s different about this track is that it’s rather melancholy… and, technically, it’s performed not by Relient K but by Matthew Thiessen And The Earthquakes, Matt’s “side band”. (You can see a more detailed explanation of that, and this track, by clicking the above link.)
Finally, Relient K’s great A Cappella version of “Auld Lang Syne” finishes the album… complete with a parting message layered over the song.
And, of course, where would we be without a hidden track? The hidden track on this EP is a very short “12 Days Of Christmas” clip that has been completely altered— including chipmunk-singing, funny accents, and the like. It’s so cute and funny, it’s too bad that it’s so short. 
All in all, this EP is one of our favorite Christmas discs ever— and it’s one that we highly recommend. [But see note above.]
Our rating for Deck The Halls, Bruise Your Hand: 5 & 1/2 Stars. 