Christmas Album Roundup 2021 featuring Paul Kelly, Pistol Annies, Michael Buble, Brett Eldredge, Darren Criss, Jamie Cullum, She & Him, Steve Perry

If you’re looking for some fresh holiday tunes to spruce up your usual playlist for various Christmas-related activities, here are some new worthwhile albums that have been released over the past few months…

Paul Kelly, “Paul Kelly’s Christmas Train” (Gawd Aggie/Cooking Vinyl) - In 1996, Kelly, one of Australia’s finest musical treasures, released a poignant Christmas tune with an unusual narrative called “How to Make Gravy.” Whenever the holiday season rolls around and I hear it again, I tend to get goosebumps.

Now the ARIA-winning singer/songwriter (who marked 40 years as a recording artist in 2021) has put out an eclectic 22-track Christmas album with a new take of “Gravy” that aligns more with his concert version. Kelly enlisted friends, relatives and frequent collaborators like Kacey Chambers, Linda & Vika Bull and Dan Kelly to help with the vocals and music. There's an Irish folk ballad, a Hebrew hymn, an Arabic poem, rock, folk and classical songs, traditional carols and more.

Among the multiple album standouts are the lovely acoustic guitar-based opener “Nativity”; the Hot Club of Cowtown vibe of “Swing Around the Sun” with totally realistic lyrics; a rocking, electric guitar and reverb-laden “Christmas”; the alluring, multi-lingual banjo and pedal steel-accented “Silent Night”; an upbeat “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” bolstered by Linda Bull’s full-bodied vocals a la originator Darlene Love; “The Oxen,” featuring Kelly’s inviting vocals and acoustic guitar; the charming trio vocal blend on “Three Drovers”; the alt-country feel of Robbie Robertson’s “Christmas Must Be Tonight” (a perfect fit for Kelly’s range); an appropriately angelic and regal “Coventry Carol”; the captivating arrangement on “In the Hot Sun of a Christmas Day” and upbeat garage rocker “Christmas Train” with Vika Bull ably taking the chief belter role.

Pistol Annies, “Hell of a Holiday” (RCA Nashville) - Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley bring their sassy, spirited presence to several of these 13 country songs, mostly comprising originals, except for a nice take on Merle Haggard’s sadly optimistic “If We Make it Through December,” a sprightly “Sleigh Ride” (love those female backing vocals) and a capella “Auld Lang Syne.” The zippy title track - set to a tribal beat, with punchy sax, and synth stabs (!) - is a clear high point, as humorous lyrics describe Christmastime preparations getting insanely earlier every year. More sax sounds punctuate the fun “Snow Globe.” A bluesy “Harlan County Coal” realistically deals with a cash-strapped holiday in a southern U.S. state. “Make You Blue” is a stunner with lush harmonies. Then there’s special guest Chuck Leavell (Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers), who adds quiet piano to the aching ballad “Joy.”

Jamie Cullum, The Pianoman at Christmas – The Complete Edition (Blue Note) - Instead of simply adding a few new tunes to his impressive 2020 "Pianoman" album and calling it a deluxe edition like everyone else, the British singer/pianist recorded another full-length holiday album with some different collaborators live in the studio. The fresh baker’s dozen - 11 Christmas classics and two originals – are often done in a swing or Dixieland jazz style and equally engaging. Standouts include “Christmas Don’t Let Me Down,” a plaintive piano take on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and a vivacious “The Man With the Bag” (containing a relevant lyric about ignoring cell phones). The Greg Wells-produced first part is highlighted by the string-laden title track with impassioned Cullum vocals, the ebullient, uplifting pop of “Turn on The Lights” and “It’s Christmas,” where the artist sings “why can’t we all just get along?”

Darren Criss, “A Very Darren Crissmas” (Decca) - This album instantly put a smile on my face upon the first listen. The gregarious singer and actor delves into some humorous AJR-styled pop (“I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”), does an upbeat and jazzy “The Man with The Bag” with Adam Lambert and puts a sunnier musical spin on Joni Mitchell’s “River” complete with glockenspiel and horns. Then Criss provides some country fun with Lainey Wilson during “Drunk On Christmas,” duets with actress Evan Rachel Wood on the lovely orchestrated ballad “Somewhere In My Memory,” gets into George Michael mode on the quiet year-in-the-life lyrics of “St. Patrick’s Day” and channels Frank Sinatra on swinging opener “Happy Holidays/The Holiday Season.”

Brett Eldredge, “Mr. Christmas” (Atlantic Nashville) - No stranger to holiday albums, having released 2016’s “Glow” and notched a hit country duet last year with Kelly Clarkson on “Under the Mistletoe,” the debonair Eldredge fares extremely well on “Mr. Christmas.” He co-penned the winsome finger-snapping title track with hit country tunesmith Ross Copperman and wrote the romantic ballad “Feels Like Christmas.” Elsewhere, the brassy “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is appropriately Sinatra-esque and “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” exudes elegance.

Brett Young and Friends, “Sing the Christmas Classics” (BMLG) – This Southern California native puts his laid back, earnest country spin on songs like standout Sun Records-styled “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” (seemingly recorded live) with Darius Rucker. “The Chipmunk Song” features prominent pedal steel and electric guitar and there's a low key “White Christmas” featuring Colbie Caillat.

She & Him, "A Very She & Him Christmas – Deluxe" (Merge) – Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward reissued a 10th anniversary edition of their first exquisite, retro-leaning holiday album; this time including lovely new interpretations of Madonna’s “Holiday,” Wham!’s “Last Christmas” and a bonus download of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”

Norah Jones, “I Dream of Christmas” (Blue Note) – Half of the songs here were written by Jones. Her comforting dulcet tones grace jazzy and R&B lite versions of “Christmas Time is Here,” “Winter Wonderland,” “White Christmas” and more. Perfect for drinking cocoa by the fireplace.

Steve Perry, “The Season” (Fantasy) – The former Journey frontman sings eight pleasant Christmas classics, some of which contain subtle R&B touches and are well-suited for adult contemporary radio.

Ronnie Milsap, “Christmas with…” (Craft) – Long out of print, the legendary Country Hall of Famer’s 1986 holiday album frequently recalls the countrypolitan sound of the 1960s. With jaunty sax and soulful backing vocals, “It’s Just Not Christmas (If I Can’t Spend It with You)” is the standout here. Milsap also does a Christmas medley with a chorale, delivers a spoken word message on “Christmas Thoughts,” and sings charming lyrics amid “Only One Night of the Year.”

Nat “King” Cole, “A Sentimental Christmas with Nat “King” Cole and Friends – Reimagined” (Capitol) – Producers Jay Landers and Jorge Calandrelli took the late crooner’s classy, restored vocals, added new orchestral arrangements, and recruited Kristin Chenoweth, Gloria Estefan, John Legend, Johnny Mathis, and Calum Scott for modern vocal “duets."

And finally, this special package is worth mentioning again:

Michael Buble, “Christmas” – 10th anniversary super deluxe box set (Warner/Reprise) – Talk about an amazing package. The box set comes housed in a stunning 12x12 red and gold lift-off box designed to look like a wrapped present with the artist's trademark initials stamped all over the cover.

There is an exclusive green LP and CD with all 15 tracks from both versions, including duets with Shania Twain (“White Christmas”) and Thalia (“Mis Deseos/Feliz Navidad”). The boxed set also has a 7-track bonus CD with two newly recorded songs: the Bublé and Gary Barlow co-penned “The Christmas Sweater” and a giddy new studio version of “Let It Snow!” recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London with the BBC Big Band Orchestra.

Other songs on the bonus CD include Buble co-write “The More You Give (The More You’ll Have)” and “Winter Wonderland” – a pleasant duet with Rod Stewart. The bluesy New Orleans swing of “Blue Christmas” and “Cold December Night,” which was co-written by Bublé, Rock and longtime touring band leader/pianist Alan Chang, are standouts.

A half-hour DVD in the box set features an entertaining 2011 documentary on the making of the album, where the singer talks about what the holiday means for him and how it was important to record everything “live on the floor,” which is how some of his old school idols like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby often worked. There is behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the producers too.

The 48-page hardbound red book inside the box includes a personalized note from the artist, plenty of color and black and white photos by Dean Freeman, images from Bublé’s personal collection showing him sitting on Santa’s lap as a kid alone and with siblings, the album lyrics, and credits.

Elsewhere in the box set are a red Christmas sweatshirt reading “All I Want for Christmas is Michael Buble” and t-shirt emblazoned with “Christmas is Coming…Michael Buble” (available separately via the official Buble website), an exclusive unique Christmas ornament, six sheets of MB wrapping paper, six MB Christmas cards and an individually numbered 12 x 12 lithograph.

All told the box set is a must-have for diehard Buble fans – both female and male.