ROD STEWART, "MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY"
Perfect for: Depending on your age � welcoming faithful old friends, placating your parents or indulging guilty musical pleasures.
The total package: Stewart proves that, with all his recent dedication to the Great American Songbook, he truly has taken on the persona of a pop statesman. It is a role he wears well here on a smooth, similarly styled collection of holiday standards. Michael Bubl�, Mary J. Blige, Dave Koz and Chris Botti are just a few of the luminaries who stop by to lend an ear and a hand.
What's nice: Stewart retains a bit of his rascal's wink on "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and brings just the right amount of sentimentality to a keening "White Christmas." The title track is a lover's lament in a lighthearted, rolling blues style and features strong support from Cee-Lo Green and Trombone Shorty. Stewart pulls off one of those piped-in, "Unforgettable"-style duets with the late Ella Fitzgerald on "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" Usually such "collaborations" seem contrived and crass � but man, their voices sound glorious together, accented by Botti's wistful trumpet. A Celtic-tinged, album-closing take on "Auld Lang Syne" exudes charm and class.
What's naughty: It's nice to invite your friends over for the holidays, but a few of the celebrity pairings ring a bit hollow, most notably Stewart's duet with Bubl� on "Winter Wonderland." Both are great in this style but for very different reasons, and their voices just don't mesh well. A rendition of "Blue Christmas" suffers from an identity crisis, unable to decide whether it's a crooner's paradise, a country tune or a blues ballad. And, oh, hello "When You Wish Upon A Star" � how'd you get in here?
CEE-LO GREEN, "CEE-LO'S MAGIC MOMENT"
Perfect for: Decking the halls with the quirky side of your family.
The total package: Santa's bag is more mixed than brand-new on this record from the soul singer with the big voice and elfin features. Although firmly entrenched in the mainstream thanks to his spot on the TV sing-off "The Voice," the voice of brave outfits Gnarls Barkley and Goodie Mob sounds as if he doesn't always know what to do with such traditional material. Whatever discomfort Green projects, he largely overcomes with pluck and vocal chops.
What's nice: A cinematic, joyful version of "White Christmas" is full of soul, harkening back to Phil Spector's 1963 classic record, "A Christmas Gift For You." Joined by The Muppets, "All I Need Is Love" is appropriately funky and campy. A vocals-only version of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch," aided by ace acapella act Straight No Chaser, is delightful and marked by its musicality. Green's voice is the perfect instrument to approach the bluesy glide of modern classics "Please Come Home for Christmas" and "Run Rudolph Run."
What's naughty: The instrumental arrangement on "Baby It's Cold Outside," with fellow "Voice" judge Christina Aguilera appearing as Green's foil, is a little too faithful, sounding like a carbon copy of more classic versions. The pair sounds as if they're going through the motions vocally, their delivery stilted and forced like actors who don't quite understand the dialog they're reading. The opening bars of Mariah Carey's high-energy, high-pitched "All I Want for Christmas Is You" sound wrong in Green's rumbling lower register, while an ambitious take on the modern sacred standard "Mary, Did You Know" is overly sappy and string-laden.
LADY ANTEBELLUM, "ON THIS WINTER'S NIGHT"
Perfect for: Holing up in a cabin for a cozy country Christmas � provided it comes equipped with all the conveniences of modern life.
The total package: Royalty in the polished pop-country realm, this Grammy-winning trio has made what is ultimately a pretty traditional holiday record, given to the same disposition and arranging tricks as a number of pop and jazz crooners before them. The disc is made distinct by the group's stellar vocal prowess, shown both with crooning solos and when dressing favorite melodies up in warm harmonic layers.
What's nice: The traditional orchestral jazz feel on album opener "A Holly Jolly Christmas" works like a charm, especially as charming vocalist Hillary Scott sells it. Lilting readings of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" are delivered with the requisite heart. A dulcet acoustic reading of "The First Noel" fits squarely within the group's wheelhouse.
What's naughty: A well-intentioned attempt to turn Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" into a slow-burning ballad falls flat. When the group tries to turn up the tempo, on an ostensibly funky "This Christmas" and a boogie-down "Blue Christmas," it sounds terribly out of place. A rendition of�"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is just fine, but no one should be allowed to sing this except the luminous Darlene Love. Sorry, y'all.
Perfect for: Drinking hot toddies with a mix of your favorite flannel-wearing, National Public Radio-adoring friends.
The total package: Cynics might scoff at the knowledge this compilation was produced, in part, by Starbucks' Hear Music label. But sneering could cause such Scrooges to miss out on a well-curated record featuring veteran acts � Paul McCartney, The Shins, Calexico � and rising stars such as The Civil Wars. The common thread here lies in consistently thoughtful, interesting arrangements.
What's nice: Fun. kicks off the record with a mellow but lush take on "Sleigh Ride," set to movie-soundtrack strings and decorated with electronic ornaments. Sharon Van Etten and Rufus Wainwright bring a perfectly smoky quality to "Baby, It's Cold Outside," one of the best takes on the tune in recent memory. Black Prairie, an act featuring members of The Decemberists, joins with singer Sallie Ford to present "(Everybody's Waitin' For) The Man with The Bag" in a style that's part murder ballad, part New Orleans parade march. The album's closing triplet is among its strongest: Daring string band Punch Brothers supply apt urgency on the pleading "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"; The Head and the Heart bring an inherent joie de vivre to a swinging, slinking "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"; while Andrew Bird provides something of a response to the question with his spare but spritely "Auld Lang Syne," sung solely to guitar and violin accompaniment.
What's naughty: There's little to dislike here, so it feels nitpicky to bring up examples. Rising Portland, Ore., indie act AgesandAges offers a rendition of "We Need a Little Christmas" that's lovely but feels a bit detached.
SUFJAN STEVENS, "SILVER AND GOLD"
Perfect for: Just about every holiday setting, depending on the disc.
The total package: In 2006, the boy genius released the five-disc box set "Songs for Christmas," populated by recordings he had completed and given as gifts to loved ones over a five-year period. In 2012, Stevens has delivered a companion, consisting of volumes six through 10. Given its size, scope and span, the set is disjunct, yet somehow represents Stevens' musical voice: There are sweeping, cinematic instrumental passages, frozen-breath folk songs and rock rave-ups. The set comes with chord charts, copious liner notes, holiday-themed temporary tattoos and DIY Christmas crafts.
What's nice: There's little not to like here � whether on pastoral renditions of favorites such as "Silent Night," quirky original compositions such as the hoe-down "Lumberjack Christmas/No One Can Save You From Christmases Past" or tender treatments of lesser-heard but equally beautiful standards such as "Coventry Carol," Stevens and Co. bring incredible intentionality and a high level of songcraft to every moment. Idiosyncratic but ultimately rewarding arrangements abound. It seems safe to say this is the only album in this year's pack where listeners will be treated to reed organ and sacred harp singing.
What's naughty: With five EPs, you can file most of the frustrating moments under the header "too much of a good thing." Such a volume of songs is, however, bound to include a few tracks of hubristic filler; most come on Disc 3, as Stevens delivers eccentric electro-pop exercises such as a meowing, drum machine-driven "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear."
THE POLYPHONIC SPREE, "HOLIDAYDREAM: SOUNDS OF THE HOLIDAYS, VOL. ONE"
Perfect for: A long, strange trip to Grandma's house � or wherever else you might be traveling during the holidays.
The total package: The sprawling chamber-pop collective, which AllMusic has compared to "The Flaming Lips and the Beach Boys with a smidgen of lively 'Godspell'-like attitude thrown into the mix," is known for its blissed-out, euphoric soundscapes. The band stays in character with a seasonal record that is lush and often sounds a little holiday punch-drunk.
What's nice: In a world where "The Christmas Song" is rerecorded in very similar fashion year after year after year, the Spree's harp-string tugging take is refreshing. This is the perfect band to tackle John Lennon's peace anthem "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," and their dynamic, swelling version would do the late Beatle proud. A lovely, lilting instrumental take on "Silent Night" finds the group augmenting a madrigal feel with unexpected, well-placed minor chords. A reading of "Let It Snow" starts out cozy and ends up clever, with a reimagined melody.
What's naughty: "Silver Bells" aims for epic territory but lands somewhere closer to dense and inscrutable. The faux-Middle Eastern vibe of "Do You Hear What I Hear?," which blurs into an equally underwhelming "Carol of the Drum � Little Drummer Boy," rings hollow.