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December 5, 2019

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Get in the holiday mood with Ne-Yo, Lea Michele and Chicago

Ne-Yo, 鈥楢nother Kind of Christmas鈥 (Motown/Compound Entertainment)

When it comes to holiday albums, Ne-Yo鈥檚 got two great things going for himself: a beautiful voice, plus a merry and bright charisma that makes him a shoe-in for anybody鈥檚 holiday TV special. For that reason, the singer鈥檚 latest release, 鈥淎nother Kind of Christmas,鈥 comes as no surprise, though it is a bit of a shocker that this is Ne-Yo鈥檚 first Christmas album.

The set includes a handful of yuletide classics, which Ne-Yo manages to modernize, without messing up. He combines beautiful harmonies with a bit of beatboxing on 鈥淭he Christmas Song;鈥 plays his own backup on a slightly slowed down and swagged up version of Donny Hathaway鈥檚 鈥淭his Christmas;鈥 and he is moving on his cover of Marvin Gaye鈥檚 鈥淚 Want to Come Home for Christmas鈥 鈥 a song delivered from the perspective of a prisoner of war.

Ne-Yo also introduces his own original holiday tunes, including the fun reggae-influenced 鈥淐hristmas Vibez鈥 featuring Satori and Dre Island. Naughty jam 鈥淥pen Mine Tonight鈥 鈥 about a little Christmas night nooky 鈥 is another standout. And then there鈥檚 鈥淭alk About It,鈥 where Ne-Yo paints a spirited picture of holidays at home, complete with aunties in the kitchen, mama鈥檚 spiked eggnog and squabbles that get squashed just in time for dinner.

鈥淎nother Kind of Christmas鈥 packs a couple holiday gems, and it鈥檚 just the kind of Christmas gift Ne-Yo fans deserve.

鈥 Melanie J. Sims (twitter.com/MelanieJoySims)

Lea Michele, 鈥楥hristmas in New York鈥 (Sony Masterworks)

It might be hard to believe, but Lea Michele has never put out a Christmas album.

That changes this year with the 11-track 鈥淐hristmas in the City,鈥 which is exactly what you鈥檇 expect when the former 鈥淕lee鈥 star tackles holiday classics 鈥 graceful, tasteful and lushly produced (by 鈥淕lee鈥 songwriters/producers Adam Anders and Peer Astrom.) Alongside 鈥淪ilver Bells鈥 and 鈥淪ilent Night,鈥 Michele even offers a new one she co-wrote, 鈥淐hristmas in New York,鈥 where she sings that 鈥渇rom Harlem to the Battery/Every corner鈥檚 bustling.鈥

Michele doesn鈥檛 mess with the classics, she just perfects them, blessed with a crystal-clear voice and slathering them with a childlike, sugary joy. Darren Criss stops by for a lovely 鈥淲hite Christmas鈥 and Jonathan Groff for a twangy 鈥淚鈥檒l Be Home for Christmas.鈥

One rare stumble is her cover of 鈥淒o You Want to Build a Snowman?鈥 from 鈥淔rozen鈥 that seems too lounge-y. But stick around for her sublime 鈥淥 Holy Night,鈥 鈥淪ilent Night鈥 and a knockout duet with Cynthia Erivo on 鈥淎ngels We Have Heard on High.鈥 Michele has delivered a modern treasure.

鈥 Mark Kennedy (twitter.com/KennedyTwits)

Los Lobos, 鈥楲leg贸 Navidad鈥 (Rhino)

Chicano rock pioneers Los Lobos waited 47 years to record their first Christmas album and, perhaps not surprisingly, the work takes the veteran group back to its beginnings, the years when members grew up fusing rock 鈥榥鈥 roll with sounds they heard echoing from backyard gatherings in largely Latino East Los Angeles.

The result is 鈥淟leg贸 Navidad鈥 鈥 Spanish for 鈥淐hristmas is Here鈥 鈥 a collection of traditional mariachi, salsa and son jarocho songs infused with a dose of rock 鈥榥鈥 roll to create a holiday recording pretty much like no other.

The musicians manage to hit all the traditional themes 鈥 from the birth of Jesus to decorating the tree in 鈥淟a Rama鈥 to the sadness of being alone during the holidays in 鈥淎marga Navidad.鈥

All the while, they move effortlessly from traditional Mexican instruments to electric guitars as their vocals vary from Spanish to English.

They also throw in a few more recognizable tunes like the Tex-Mex rocker 鈥淚t鈥檚 Christmas Time in Texas,鈥 the comical 1950s novelty hit 鈥溌緿贸nde Est谩 Santa Claus?鈥 and the Jos茅 Feliciano standard 鈥淔eliz Navidad.鈥

Their best, however, is the album鈥檚 only original, 鈥淐hristmas and You,鈥 from Lobos songwriters Louie Perez and David Hidalgo.

For heartbreak, it puts Elvis Presley鈥檚 鈥淏lue Christmas鈥 to shame.

鈥 John Rogers (twitter.com/Johnatap)

Chicago, 鈥楥hicago Christmas (2019)鈥 (Rhino)

If you鈥檙e curling up near the fireplace and the Christmas tree in an amorous mood with a loved one, there may be no better holiday album to listen to this Christmas than 鈥淐hicago Christmas (2019).鈥

But if you鈥檙e driving in your car listening to it, there may not be a more dangerous one: It could easily put you to sleep, making you drive off the road and crash.

In their latest stab at Christmas music, the 1970s supergroup whose iconic horn section helped define the sound of a generation of pop music plays it slow and gentle here, one track after another of what used to be called 鈥渆asy listening鈥 music that should prove unavoidable in dentist office waiting rooms throughout the world.

In an earlier Christmas album, Chicago penned an enduring holiday standard in 鈥淛olly Old St Nicholas,鈥 which most fans know by its chorus of 鈥淲hat鈥檚 It Gonna Be, Santa?鈥 That track was rocking, up-tempo, tongue-in-cheek fun. Sadly, there鈥檚 nothing like that here. A salsa version of 鈥淗ere We Come A Caroling鈥 finally shows a pulse, but all in all, this album is strictly couples鈥 therapy.

鈥 Wayne Parry (twitter.com/WayneParryAC)

The McCrary Sisters, 鈥楢 Very McCrary Christmas鈥 (Rounder)

Joy is just a three-letter word, as gospel legend Shirley Caesar notes in a spirited riff on 鈥淛oyful, Joyful鈥 from the McCrary Sisters鈥 new holiday album. But if you were looking to wrap the season into one joyful package, 鈥淎 Very McCrary Christmas鈥 would do it.

The sisters, renowned Nashville background singers, range around in styles under the gospel canopy, from a spirited, bass-driven 鈥淛oy to the World鈥 to a movingly somber take on 鈥淲hat Child Is This?鈥 featuring Americana mainstay Buddy Miller.

The album pulsates with classic and modern gospel arrangements that wouldn鈥檛 be out of place in a Sunday morning church service at the height of the holiday season 鈥 if the house band featured big-time talent from across the music spectrum.

Alison Krauss lends stellar vocals to a majestic take on 鈥淥 Come, O Come Emmanuel.鈥 Bluesman Keb鈥 Mo鈥 shares lead vocals with Regina McCrary on a soulful version of 鈥淎way in a Manger鈥 that also features elegant playing by lap steel virtuoso Jerry Douglas.

The reason the sisters did the album, according to Deborah McCrary, was to 鈥減ut the reason back in the season.鈥

Consider it done, joyfully.

鈥 Scott Stroud (twitter.com/ScottStroud1)

Rob Halford, 鈥淐elestial鈥 (Legacy Recordings)

The man they call the Metal God is famous for writing songs like 鈥淒evil鈥檚 Child,鈥 鈥淎 Touch of Evil,鈥 鈥淪inner鈥 and 鈥淪aints In Hell.鈥 But if you think that鈥檚 all Rob Halford thinks about, you鈥檝e got another thing coming.

鈥淐elestial,鈥 his latest foray into Christmas music, is chock full of reverential religious lyrics about God, Jesus, salvation and the nativity.

It might seem a bit jarring to hear the leather-clad, Harley-riding metalhead singing 鈥淛oy to the world, the Lord has come.鈥 But he puts it over with a startling sincerity and sense of innocent fun.

It kicks off with a roar on 鈥淒onner and Blitzen,鈥 one of three original tracks on the album, and one that would be at home on the best Judas Priest albums. And lest the 鈥淔a-la-la-la-las鈥 of 鈥淒eck the Halls鈥 skew too lightweight, the backing track and melody are pure minor-chord mayhem.

His treatment of Christmas classics covers a wide range, with the most interesting being a complete reworking of 鈥淥 Little Town of Bethlehem鈥 with a new melody and backing chords that bear no resemblance whatsoever to the traditional arrangements.

But they captivate in their originality.

And the twin guitar solos that help many a heavy metal track shred are employed to devastating effect on 鈥淛oy to the World.鈥

鈥 Wayne Parry (twitter.com/WayneParryAC)

Keb鈥 Mo鈥, 鈥楳oonlight, Mistletoe & You鈥 (Concord Records)

Now that he鈥檚 all grown up, Keb鈥 Mo鈥 is fed up with Christmas. He has great holiday memories about family gatherings, caroling, sledding, Santa Claus and gifts.

But the stressed-out adult in him is weighed down by maxed-out credit cards and all he wants is to move further along the calendar.

Thankfully, it鈥檚 just a charade and Mo鈥 even makes 鈥淐hristmas Is Annoying鈥 the shortest by far of the 10 songs on the first Christmas album of his career.

The rest of the tunes may be more serious, but only just, as Mo鈥 keeps sentiments on the light side as he blends a variety of blues styles with pop, R&B and jazz with the guest vocals of Melissa Manchester and some oh-so-cute backing from singing children.

There are also quality guests among his songwriting partners, like Beth Nielsen Chapman and Mac Davis, while covers include tunes by Koko Taylor, Teddy Edwards and Irving Berlin.

Mo鈥 sounds at home in all genres, but he excels here on the blues tracks, including 鈥淪anta Claus Blues,鈥 鈥淢erry, Merry Christmas鈥 and 鈥淪anta Claus, Santa Claus.鈥

鈥 Pablo Gorondi (twitter.com/PabloGorondi)

Ana Gasteyer, 鈥楽ugar & Booze鈥 (Henry鈥檚 Girl Records)

If the season is bringing you too much sweetness, turn to Ana Gasteyer. The 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥 alum brings a tasty tang 鈥 in one song she encourages us to 鈥減our a nip into that nog鈥 鈥 to her 15-track Christmas collection 鈥淪ugar & Booze.鈥

Gasteyer鈥檚 album, which includes some songs she co-wrote as well as classic tunes, has a retro 1950s feel, with big band horns and jazzy drum brushes. Her quirky humor is arch, often subversive toward the very holiday she鈥檚 celebrating. 鈥淗e鈥檚 Stuck in the Chimney Again鈥 is about an overweight Kriss Kringle, 鈥淏lue Black Friday鈥 complains about 鈥渇amily drama, nothing new鈥 and she insists 鈥淣othing Rhymes with Christmas鈥 but finds one word at least 鈥 isthmus.

Fellow 鈥淪NL鈥 cast-member Maya Rudolph joins her on the Cuban-based, hysterically rude 鈥淪ecret Santa鈥 and Gasteyer includes her Hanukkah song 鈥淚n the Market for a Miracle鈥 from the live TV version of 鈥淎 Christmas Story.鈥 When it comes to classics like 鈥淟et It Snow,鈥 Gasteyer makes them all her own, somewhat maniacally.

This is the perfect soundtrack to a holiday party filled with fun, saucy people.

鈥 Mark Kennedy (twitter.com/KennedyTwits)

Various artists, 鈥楬anukkah +鈥 (Verve Forecast)

Why should all the music love go to Christians over the holidays? Music supervisor Randall Poster has come to Hanukkah鈥檚 rescue by spearheading a song collection inspired by the Jewish holiday.

The 12-track 鈥淗anukkah +鈥 is wonderfully strange, ranging from jokey and folky to confessional, all bookended by two traditional songs performed by Jack Black, who brings his off-kilter, disruptive energy.

His take on 鈥淥h Hanukkah鈥 leads off the collection, which is heavy on references to latkes, dreidels and menorahs. The trio HAIM sing Leonard Cohen鈥檚 鈥淚f It Be Your Will鈥 and Adam Green of the Moldy Peaches turns his tune, 鈥淒reidels of Fire,鈥 into a look back at heartbreak. 鈥淪he turned my festival of lights into a festival of pain,鈥 Green sings.

Alex Frankel from the electronic duo Holy Ghost! sings in a computer-altered voice about a specific holiday memory in 鈥淗anukkah in 鈥96.鈥 The Flaming Lips offer their original 鈥淪ing It Now, Sing It Somehow.鈥

The standout is Loudon Wainwright III鈥檚 鈥淓ight Nights a Week,鈥 a hysterical tune from a gentile that references Irving Berlin, alternate-side parking and how Hanukkah 鈥渟eems less fraud and more fun to me鈥 than Christmas. It deserves a place in your rotation beside the classics.

鈥 Mark Kennedy (twitter.com/KennedyTwits)

Warren Haynes, 鈥榃arren Haynes Presents The Benefit Concert Vol. 16鈥 (Evil Teen Records)

Since the late 1980s, Warren Haynes has made a tradition of his Christmas Jam, an annual event in Asheville, North Carolina, benefiting the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Haynes has also made a tradition of releasing albums from the concerts, usually years after they were recorded.

Volume 16 of the series continues in that vein, presenting the 2014 show in more formats 鈥 from CD and DVD to vinyl and Blu-ray and beyond 鈥 than you鈥檒l find Christmas jelly bean colors. The album includes 10 songs, the film, 16.

A who鈥檚 who of jam bands and Southern rockers 鈥 from Haynes鈥 own Gov鈥檛 Mule and Bill Kreutzmann鈥檚 Billy & the Kids to Jason Isbell, Hard Working Americans, Col. Bruce Hampton, Duane Trucks, Paul Riddle and many others 鈥 perform spirited renditions of songs from the Marshall Tucker Band (鈥淐an鈥檛 You See,鈥 鈥淪outhern Woman鈥) Neil Young (鈥淐innamon Girl,鈥 鈥淭onight鈥檚 the Night鈥) the Grateful Dead (鈥淪hakedown Street鈥), The Band (鈥淭he Night They Drove Old Dixie Down鈥) and more.

They may not have much, if anything, to do with traditional Christmas songs, but it鈥檚 the thought that counts 鈥 and the millions of dollars raised so far for a great cause.

鈥 Pablo Gorondi (twitter.com/PabloGorondi)

Bryan Adams, 鈥楥hristmas鈥 (Polydor/UMe)

It鈥檚 not easy to write an original Christmas song that will be remembered from year to year. Bryan Adams has already done it twice, penning two recurring Christmas staples with 鈥淐hristmas Time鈥 and 鈥淩eggae Christmas.鈥

With 鈥淛oe and Mary,鈥 one of two new tracks on this five-song EP, Adams may have done it again. The song, set to classic Chuck Berry chords and riffage, updates the nativity scene to the modern day. The young couple travel 鈥渋n a beat-up Buick鈥 to a Motel 6, hoping there will be room for Mary to have her baby. You know the rest.

The other new track is his version of the children鈥檚 Christmas song 鈥淢ust Be Santa,鈥 which has been a staple of countless kindergarten holiday recitals. This version comes complete with child backup singers and should be good for a few smiles.

Together with his 1980s Christmas anthems, also included here, Adams cuts like a knife through the morass of mediocre holiday music out there.

鈥 Wayne Parry (twitter.com/WayneParryAC)

Andrew Bird, 鈥楬ARK!鈥 (Loma Vista Recordings)

Whether whistling, singing or playing the violin, Andrew Bird rarely takes the straight and narrow path, whether it鈥檚 salvation or damnation at play. Or great music.

鈥淗ARK!鈥 is capitalized, as if to grab your attention, and while there are no herald angels about, Bird bookends the record with a pair of inspired originals 鈥 the pleading 鈥淎labaster鈥 and the rousing, encouraging 鈥淣ight鈥檚 Falling.鈥

In between are a pair of fabulous instrumental covers of compositions from Vince Guaraldi鈥檚 鈥淎 Charlie Brown Christmas鈥 鈥 the flowing, billowy 鈥淪kating鈥 and 鈥淐hristmas is Coming,鈥 which is jazzy and partly whistled. Both have guitar solos that appear to require what so many family band performances around the Christmas tree need: more practice.

Also on hand are takes on even older classics, including 鈥淲hite Christmas,鈥 where Bird鈥檚 voice is enveloped in the 1950s style of Buddy Holly.

Bird鈥檚 whistling on some of the songs begs the speculation that had he been born a few decades earlier, it could have been him making the eerie sounds on the Beach Boys鈥 鈥淕ood Vibrations,鈥 not the notoriously capricious theremin.

鈥 Pablo Gorondi (twitter.com/PabloGorondi)

Josh Rouse, 鈥楾he Holiday Sounds of Josh Rouse鈥 (Yep Roc Records)

Full of pure sentiments, from nostalgia and mirth to melancholy and heartbreak, Josh Rouse鈥檚 holiday album is too cool for Yule.

Including nine original tunes written over several years, Rouse鈥檚 decision to mostly avoid typically wintry sounds gives him the freedom to approach the holidays with his personal style.

Emphasizing acoustic, or barely electric, arrangements, the band 鈥 including returning producer and keyboardist Brad Jones, bassist James Haggerty and musician-brothers Marc and Joe Pisapia 鈥 is as nimble as Santa鈥檚 helpers.

Opener 鈥淢editerranean X-Mas鈥 has its roots in Rouse鈥檚 many years in Spain, while 鈥淟etters in the Mailbox鈥 is a Chris Isaak-style lament.

鈥淟ights of Town鈥 quotes the 鈥淏aby Just Cares for Me鈥 bass and piano and feels, along with several other songs and the cover art, like something from the first few seasons of 鈥淢ad Men.鈥

鈥淓asy Man鈥 is about enjoying domestic bliss without quite slipping into docility, while 鈥淗eartbreak Holiday鈥 is a chirpy take about getting dumped.

The songs here sound like they could have been included on any of Rouse鈥檚 excellent 鈥渞egular鈥 releases. It鈥檚 what makes them so enjoyable and fitting for many occasions.

鈥 Pablo Gorondi (twitter.com/PabloGorondi)


 

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