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Christmas Songs
David Foster & Katherine McPhee
Nice enough mini album with highlights being the energetic take on Santa Claus is Coming to Town and a terrific big band-ified Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (the arrangement is such fun ill forgive McPhee's cringe shout out to Rudolph at the very end.)
Under a Winters Moon (Live at Knox Church,Stratford,Ontario/ 2021)
Loreena McKennitt
McKennitt's voice is as transcendent as ever on this live recording which combines traditional hymns and carols with relevant readings including Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales. A lovely performance best listened to rather than relegated to background duty.
Recommend
Winter Morning
Sissel
Another ephemeral voice is heard from on this 7 track offering from Sissel joined by The Tabernacle Choir.
Recommended
Ellie Holcomb
Sing : Christmas Songs
Nice mix of both praise and Christmas songs (sacred and secular).
Recommend
Miracle in a Manger.
Jason Crabb
Fine collection if mostly familiar tracks from Christian artist Crabb
Recommend
A Very Yinzer Christmas
Pittsburgh area regional compilation. sporting a generous 26 tracks. Not too many familiar names for those of us not immersed in the Pittsburgh scene, I'm only familiar with a few; Donnie Iris, Norman Nardini and Joe Grushecky.Compilations of this sort are often seriously hit and miss but, A Very Yinzer Christmas maintains a steady level of average to above average songs, As I was listening and starting to formulate my review in my mind i wanted to note the rare accomplishment of not having a bad track in the bunch. That thought persisted right up until I hit the last few tracks. At least whoever programmed the album had similar taste to mine and hid the significantly less successful cuts at the back
Step Into Christmas
Elton John
5 track digital ep collecting the solid title single, the fun to hear once or twice a year novelty track Ho! Ho! Ho! (Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas?) , the earlier, inessential, Joss Stone duet Calling it Christmas and two other songs I don't consider Christmas.
Christmas from IrelandAnuna
Lovely Celtic choral crossover .
Singles
All I Want for Christmas is You / It's Christmas - Hush Kids
A decent subdued take on "All I Want" does as much as it can with the source material. The flip, the Hush Kids original It’s Christmas is far more affecting and a lovely Christmas song.
Wrapped up in a Bow - Jamie Fine
The vocal styling here are nit for me and the song isn't strong enough to transcend them
Last Christmas / Winter Wonderland - Remi Wolf
I honestly have no context for contemporary artists like this, many millions of listens but I've never come across them before. Is this single terrible, no, especially the go at Last Christmas but I don't imagine I'll ever want to hear it again.
Driving Home for Christmas - Tom Grennan
Overwrought take on Chris Rea's classic. Not bad but a bit much.
Because It’s Christmas - Peter Cincotti
Solid, catchy pop jazz original.
