Holiday Album Roundup 2012

Posted December 11, 2012 by J Matthew Cobb in Features

Blake Shelton
Cheers It’s Christmas

The title alone sounds like something you’ll say at a boozy family affair. Inside Shelton’s first holiday album, he hardly punishes himself with the binge drinking and keeps the carols in their traditional pop settings. Certainly, Shelton’s twang alongside his Nashville buddies (Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Pistol Annies) intends to melt any snow away on their southern lawns, especially with the perky country soul of “Oklahoma Christmas” and “Santa’s Got a Choo Choo Train,” but Shelton isn’t afraid to twist things up. “Home” gets a lyric re-write for the holidays and the Kelly Clarkson duet on “There’s a New Kid In Town” puts a new spin on the Baby Jesus story.