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 1 of 7

After the slew of Christmas projects that were released last year, this year's crop looks rather skimpy. Don't let that trouble you though, for these nine make up for the small quantity with strong quality. A few of these projects are among the best I've ever heard in Christmas music, and as always, there's wide array of musical styles. In case you're curious, we've included a "New-to-Traditional %" with each album; it's there to let you know how much of the album is comprised of brand-new material, and how much of it is made up of traditional favorites. Whichever you're looking for, you're certain to find some impressive music to celebrate the season with among this year's releases.

(A little disclaimer: like last year, I cannot claim full credit for these oh-so-creative review titles. You have been warned … )

Selah | WoW Christmas | City on a Hill: It's Christmas Time
Plus One | toby Mac | John Tesh | Nicole C. Mullen
Vineyard | Jump5

Rose of Bethlehem
Selah (Curb / Warner)
New–to–Traditional %: 30/70

A really good Christmas album will feature strong original songs that celebrate the season, stellar arrangements of beloved Christmas carols, or both. Inspirational vocal group Selah always has excelled at blending fine pop originals with thoughtful arrangements of old hymns, as well as seeking out quality songs you've probably never heard of, so they're perfect for an album such as Rose of Bethlehem, produced by Jason Kyle. As you might expect, the beautiful three-part harmonies of Todd and Nicol Smith with Allan Hall practically make the timeless classics their own, but don't let the group's strong arranging skills go unnoticed. "Silent Night" builds from gentle lullaby to powerhouse vocalizing, and Allan underscores it with a hint of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" on the piano. "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" calls attention to the hymn's inspiration and heritage by blending the Jewish national anthem on violin with a Gregorian chant-like drone at the beginning. "O Holy Night" and "What Child Is This?" are similarly stunning, traditional in sound and yet altered enough to captivate the listener's ear. Equally strong are the album's original compositions. Todd's rich voice carries the dark and dramatic beauty of "Mystery," written by he and his wife Angela, which compares the traditional image of the Christmas tree with the tree on which Jesus gave his life. While this certainly isn't an original idea, it's always an effective one. Nicol's solo comes with the poignant title track, a warm and pretty Christmas ballad by Lowell Alexander that closes the album. Allan carries most of the lead vocals on "Once Upon a Christmas," a sweeping orchestral summary of the Christmas story that was written by Dolly Parton in the early '80s. She joins Allan for a duet midway through the song, and both are backed by lush strings and terrific backing vocals from Todd and Nicol. "Light of the Stable" is an outstanding Christmas song that's perfect for worship teams to integrate into their Christmas services because of its Steven Curtis Chapman-styled catchiness and simplicity. Really the only track that doesn't work as well is "Joy" (penned by Todd, Nicol, and Angela), which was written to provide more musical diversity, but ends up sounding bland and too much like Avalon's song of the same title. The rest of the album is pure gold, delightful in its blend of traditional with contemporary, and destined to be a favorite for many years to come.

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