In the Spirit: A Christmas Album is everything a Michael McDonald fan could want from a holiday album by one of the greatest blue-eyed soul vocalists of all time. It's firmly within the tradition of latter-day Doobies records and early McDonald solo efforts, resulting in a really pleasing sound, equal parts classic soft rock and classy pop-soul, but there are some differences that give it its own character. First of all, there is a reason why the album is released on MCA Nashville, and there are some hints of contemporary country on songs like "On This Night" and in the arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard on High."

Following an album of originals (The Lucky Ones) and the holiday LP Evergreen, both released in 2021, Pentatonix turn out another dedicated Christmas set, Holidays Around the World, their sixth career seasonal album. Despite its name, it's loaded with traditional carols and English-language classics spanning "Jingle Bells" and "Last Christmas," however, its diverse list of guest performers include Congolese gospel singer Grace Lokwa ("Love Came on Christmas [Joy to the World x Kumama Papa])," Lebanese singer/actress Hiba Tawaji ("Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"), Filipino crossover star Lea Salonga ("Christmas in Our Hearts"), and J-pop duo Hikakin & Seikin, among others. Fellow American Meghan Trainor kicks things off with the cheerful "Kid on Christmas," one of the album's three original songs. The other new songs, the wistful "Star on Top" and power ballad "Prayers for This World," are performed by the a cappella group alone.

The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 6: WCBS FM 101.1 is another eclectic collection of pop holiday tunes from the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s, including Wham!'s "Last Christmas," the Beach Boys' "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," and Andy Williams' "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!." Aretha Franklin's "Winter Wonderland," America's "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," and Connie Francis' "White Christmas" are some of the other highlights from this scattered compilation, which somehow mixes different sounds and eras into a festive celebration.

The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 5 collects more pop and rock holiday tunes, this time venturing further into the '70s and '80s with songs like Paul McCartney & Wings' "Wonderful Christmastime," Hall & Oates' "Jingle Bell Rock," and Barry Manilow's "It's Just Another New Year's Eve." The collection still features traditional pop chestnuts, including Dean Martin's "A Marshmallow World," Johnny Mathis' "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)," and Andy Williams' "Sleigh Ride," but this volume's overall feel is more contemporary than classic. Other highlights include Manhattan Transfer's "A Christmas Love Song," the Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping," the Tokens' "Little Drummer Boy," and the Jackson 5's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." If The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 5 isn't necessarily the most coherent volume in the series, it's certainly one of the most interesting.

Another installment in Collectables' The Ultimate Christmas Album series, volume four gathers a mix of well-known and offbeat holiday tunes, including Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas," the Platters' "Winter Wonderland," and Perry Como's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." Brook Benton's "You're All I Want for Christmas," Percy Faith's "Christmas Is," and Otis Redding's "Merry Christmas Baby" are some of the collection's soulful highlights, while Santo & Johnny's "Twistin' Bells" and Stan Freberg's "Christmas Dragnet" add some novelty to the festivities. Though it's a somewhat uneven collection, The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 4: WCBS 101.1 has enough interesting and classic moments to make it worthwhile for anyone looking to go beyond the season's basic music.

Building on her well-represented holiday catalog, Christmas with Judy Collins is essentially a reissue of the folk artist's 2000 release All on a Wintry Night, padded with two additional songs. All 14 tracks from Wintry Night are featured here in their original sequence with the addition of a new single, the western-tinged "Angels in the Snow" leading off the album, and a stirring, largely a cappella version of "Amazing Grace" closing it out. Fans of Collins' rich, warm voice will enjoy some of the more stripped-down arrangements, which feature her singing to a simple piano accompaniment on lesser-known carols like "In the Bleak Midwinter" and "Cherry Tree Carol." On the other hand, the dated synthesizer sounds on tracks like "Come Rejoice" and "Good King Wenceslas" sound rather homogenous and the spoken intro over the faux-strings of "Away in a Manger" is far too heavy-handed to take seriously. Fortunately, the bulk of the album's 16 tracks favor the more minimalist arrangements keeping Collins' lovely voice at the forefront without much distraction.