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The Christmas Sessions (INO)
Pop/rock

The six guys in MercyMe have apparently been working hard to develop their skills and broaden their horizons beyond their usual AC pop sound. Following singer Bart Millard's example with his refreshing solo debut of Americana-styled hymns, the band offers varied pop/rock versions of Christmas classics with flashes of country, classic rock, and contemporary jazz, with results nearly as strong. The influences are a little too obvious, but MercyMe convincingly uses U2's guitar and Coldplay's rhythm to transform "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" into energetic stadium rock. A similar Brit pop sensibility is applied to an ambient rendition of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." If you crossed The Beatles with a Dixieland band, it'd probably sound a bit like this buoyant "Winter Wonderland/White Christmas" medley. Attribute it to a bigger recording budget or road experience if you want, but MercyMe is clearly improving as a band.

Christmas Prayer (EMI Gospel)
Retro and soulful pop

Your opinion of Neville's flowing soft falsetto tenor (soulful or whiny?) will decide whether Christmas Prayer is for you. It's too distracting when he uses it to stray from the melody on a plodding "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and both "Mary's Boy Child" and Curtis Mayfield's "Amen" are poorly produced with extensive reverb effects. But Neville is spot-on for the jazzy "Merry Christmas Baby" and reverential "Ave Maria." The groovin' reggae of Neville's original "Christmas Everyday" is a well-written reminder of the reason Christ came, while the Blind Boys of Alabama join in for an a cappella "Joy to the World." The highlight is a non-Christmas song that still fits this album—Neville's stirring cover of "Amazing Grace," recorded for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In fact, the New Orleans native has partnered with EMI Gospel to donate 60 cents to the American Red Cross for every copy of Christmas Prayer sold through the end of 2006.

Christmas Cookies (Spring Hill)
Country

This is the fifth holiday release in twenty years for the veteran group—and if they're starting to sound past their prime, that's part of their old-fashioned country charm, especially with the cute lovey-dovey title track. Indeed, while the quartet does fine covering some traditional Christmas hymns and standards, the country-and-bluegrass-styled originals are the tracks that shine the most. "Hay Baby" makes a sprite two-step and "Blessed Be the Day (of Our Savior's Birth)" is an enjoyable Southern-styled Christmas hymn. Though it's initially hard to figure where weepy story song "From Love to Love" fits in the Christmas canon, there is in fact a strong spiritual payoff. Christmas Cookies is good for what is, appealing primarily to an older demographic with songs focused on the reason for the season and the family traditions associated with it.

Yuletide Joy (INO Records)
Inspirational pop

Though it's nostalgic to revisit songs from 1983's The Gift Goes On—Sandi Patty's first Christmas recording—in a concert setting, you'd think the gifted vocalist would be eager to record fresh holiday music. Five of that album's songs are resurrected for Yuletide Joy, but the '80s-styled inspirational songwriting hasn't aged well, and "Merry Christmas with Love" is in fact the same twenty-year-old recording. Also, considering her reputation for performing live with an orchestra, it's regrettable that Yuletide Joy relies on chintzy synthesizers that inadequately substitute the real thing. But Patty proves she hasn't lost her amazing soprano range, particularly in a showstopping performance of lesser-known gospel classic "Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child." A mellower, jazzier "Go Tell It on the Mountain" makes a nice change of pace, and "Jingle Bells a la Sandra" is a playfully varied tour de force despite some its over-the-top camp. Long-time fans will love Yuletide Joy, though even they will reluctantly admit it should have been better.

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