Christmas was being stocked on stores’ shelves before Halloween was even over, so you know it’s only a matter of time before we find ourselves in the midst of an audio assault. If your favorite stores and restaurants haven’t already started their holiday playlists, beware a flurry of Frosty the Snowman’s will swiftly become a blizzard.
But before you go all bah humbug and rip off Rudolph’s nose, check out five of this season’s anticipated holiday offerings and then complete your playlist with holiday hits from year’s past.
Idina Menzel- Holiday Wishes (available now)
It wouldn’t be surprising, as we approach the first-year release anniversary of Disney’s super-smash Frozen, that you would still be humming the ice queen’s swan song “Let it Go,” but being the voice behind Elsa just isn’t enough of a holiday takeover for Idina Menzel. She’s aiming for the title of Christmas Queen with her first album of holiday music, Holiday Wishes.
While the collection is mostly traditional tunes, Menzel does cover the Joni Mitchell classic, “River,” and teams up with Michael Bublé for “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
Surprising here? Menzel’s arena-sized take on the Mariah Carey classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” True fans will want to make sure they pick up the Target Deluxe Version with two bonus tracks.
Pentatonix- That’s Christmas to Me (available now)
Since winning NBC’s The Sing-Off in 2011, the Texas-based quintet Pentatonix has been crisscrossing the country performing to sold-out crowds. They’ve also released several EPs featuring both original material and a cappella arrangements of top pop music hits, joined the cast of the upcoming Pitch Perfect sequel and released their second holiday album, That’s Christmas to Me.
Like their previous efforts, the album contains both covers and original Pentatonix tunes. The quintet beatboxes its way through “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” provides a whimsical “Winter Wonderland / Don’t Worry Be Happy” mashup and beautiful harmonies on “Silent Night,” but the real present is their own nostalgic reflection on title track “That’s Christmas to Me” and their fabulous Frozen cover.
LeAnn Rimes- One Christmas- Chapter 1 (available now)
Leann Rimes is placing multi-year bets on Christmas. The embattled singer-songwriter celebrated Christmas in July when she took to the beaches of California to announce her holiday albums, One Christmas, and accompanying tour.
Yes, albums. Part of a trilogy, Rimes announced the first chapter release for 2014 and subsequent chapters for 2015 and 2016.
The first chapter is six-song EP including the single “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” It also features Rimes’ take on “Blue Christmas,” “White Christmas” and the Dolly Parton-classic, “Hard Candy Christmas.”
“I love everything about the holidays,” Rimes said in a release, “and want to share the magic and joy of the season with my fans. I look forward to playing some of my favorite Christmas classics for music lovers in an intimate, cozy setting.”
Over the Rhine- Blood Oranges in the Snow (available now)
Not so much a holiday record as it is holiday-themed, Ohio-based “life partners” Over the Rhine release their third holiday-themed album in their two-and-a-half decade existence.
Blood Oranges in the Snow is for anyone looking for a Silent Night-less December, but that doesn’t mean, you’re decking the halls, either. The album is a collection of bittersweet and beautiful ‘nuanced songs reconciling the joy and peace of Christmas-time with the dangers of a violent world.’ For lack of a better genre, they’ve described the album as “reality” Christmas music. Check out “Let it Fall,” an ode to letting go and embracing new starts.
The album is a perfect Starbucks coffeehouse listen and the duo has an entire back catalog of singer-songwriter folk music. They tour extensively, often making one or two Atlanta stops, mostly at Variety Playhouse and Eddie’s Attic.
Darius Rucker- Home for the Holidays (available now)
It’s okay to admit you miss Hootie. There is a part of us that secretly wishes this album had been titled Hootie for the Holidays but Darius Rucker’s country career has taken off and the singer debuts his first solo collection of holiday tunes.
Rucker’s twelve-track collection features the classics “I’ll Be Home Christmas” and the Sheryl Crow-assisted “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” the corny “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and two Rucker originals, “Candy Cane Christmas” and “What God Wants for Christmas.”
“I am so excited to finally make a Christmas album,” Rucker said in a release. “This has been a lifelong dream and I hope my fans enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed making it.”