Kenny Rogers, Kylie Minogue and more
Here is a review of holiday albums released this year:
Kenny Rogers, “Once Again It's Christmas” (Warner)If country legend Kenny Rogers sticks to his guns, “Once Again It's Christmas” will be his sixth and final holiday album, and bittersweet nostalgia infuses all 11 tracks.The 77-year-old crooner recently announced his retirement and farewell tour, so this mix of mostly classic carols with traditional arrangements is one fans will savor. Highlights include “Some Children See Him,” with Alison Krauss adding angelic accompaniment, and “Children, Go Where I Send Thee,” featuring country a cappella band Home Free and a rousing clap-your-hands gospel beat.Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles adds heat to “Baby It's Cold Outside.” Rogers is backed by a choral arrangement on “Little Drummer Boy,” and soaring strings on “I'll Be Home for Christmas.” His voice is a little softer and raspier than on his first Christmas album 34 years ago, but it fits with selections that make you want to curl up by the fire with a bourbon eggnog and the ones you love.— Lindsey Tanner (twitter.com/LindseyTanner)
Kylie Minogue's first Christmas album is a very mixed bag of big band arrangements, awkward duets, better-than-expected novelty originals and evergreens hardly suited to her vocal limits.Frank Sinatra is back for a shared “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” and his input really does sound recorded in the great beyond. Iggy Pop croaks through The Waitresses' “Christmas Wrapping,” a very British-sounding, American pop tune, while James Corden lifts Yazoo's “Only You,” hardly a holiday song.“Every Day Is Like Christmas” echoes “Viva La Vida”-era Coldplay, no surprise as it's by the consciously uncoupled Chris Martin. The Pretenders' stirring “2000 Miles” gets a lush arrangement but Minogue's no match for Chrissie Hynde.It would have made more sense to include the tunes Minogue helped write — “White December” and “Christmas Isn't Christmas 'Til You Get Here” — and maybe a couple more as bonus tracks on her next pop album because under the gift wrap that's all “Kylie Christmas” has worth keeping.— Pablo Gorondi (twitter.com/PabloGorondi)
The Christmas album from Toni Braxton and her sisters will only make you wish they were working on a proper, full-length R&B project.“Braxton Family Christmas” is soulful and warm and the sisters' harmonies are the album's highlight. They sound like angels on “O Holy Night (a cappella)” and “This Christmas,” which opens the 8-track album. And Tamar Braxton, the youngest, hits a high note so beautifully on “Mary, Did You Know?” you'll have to replay it again and again.The sisters' voices are so similar sometimes it's hard to tell who's who. But it doesn't matter because though there are five of them, they sound united — like a group should.— Mesfin Fekadu (twitter.com/MusicMesfin)
To the delight of Fluttershy fans, the “My Little Pony” Christmas album, “A Pony Kind of Christmas,” has arrived. The mythical land of Equestrian can now be filled with whimsical yuletide songs.It's all in good fun as Rainbow Dash handles a decidedly rock-tinged rendition of “Jingle Bells.” The ponies punctuate the hook with a few well-placed yelps and go off the grid from the traditional lyrics just enough to keep the listener guessing.You probably won't know which pony is singing without a cheat sheet or help from your kids, which is part of the fun.There's some original material here. The Phoenix Chamber Carol does a nice job backing the ponies on “The Heart Carol,” which is all about friendship, glowing hearts and the loyalty creed. Fathers moonlighting as Bronies may get a little choked up as the ponies sing out valuable life lessons under the guise of a Christmas song.“A Pony Kind of Christmas” is about as syrupy sweet a holiday album as you'll find.— Ron Harris (twitter.com/Journorati)
At this point, it takes some doing to stand out in the world of Christmas rock albums, but the Brian Setzer Orchestra succeeds with a remake of the “Flintstones” cartoon TV show theme, with Christmas lyrics substituted.“Yabba-Dabba Yuletide” is as quirky, bizarre and just plain out-there as anything you'll hear in December, and it features the former Stray Cats leader's fast-picking guitar solos, backed by a kicking horn section. “Joy to the World” shows up here as “Swingin' Joy,” a rollicking big band instrumental that defies you not to dance to it, followed by a guitar-heavy “Carol of the Bells.”For the Flintstones-themed song alone, this is worth getting. But there's enough alongside it to keep this album in your go-to holiday playlist.— Wayne Parry (twitter.com/WayneParryAC)
