Total turkey or absolute gravy? Our verdict on 2016's Christmas albums

'Tis the reason to be jolly: The song choice has been well researched, not least a few surprises, such as Christmas Don't Be Late and the preposterous I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas.
Scrooge moan: Still a relatively unknown artist, so it's unlikely we'll hear Kacey’s album while doing the Christmas shopping.
White Christmas? No snow here. Instead Kacey’s collection is deliciously unusual and inspired. 
Blue Christmas? Mostly a jolly upbeat collection, although Kacey contributes her own tearful composition Christmas Makes Me Cry, which is strangely out of kilter.
Stocking or shocking? Hardcore country and Americana fans will absolutely love this collection.
Ian Sime

Home Malone: Gareth's Christmas light show

Gareth Malone, A Great British Christmas (Decca) *** Wrapping: Everyone’s favourite boy next door leans on a gate post decked out in festive lights. Behind him, a house dazzles with an array of sparkling decorations.

Gifts inside: 14 songs, mostly traditional hymns such as Silent Night, A Child Is Born and O Holy Night, but mixed with classic Christmas songs and tunes from The Snowman and Disney’s Frozen. Among the array of singers, astronaut Tim Peake makes an appearance, as do Great Britain’s gold medal-winning women’s hockey team, Birmingham Community Gospel Choir and Belfast Community Gospel Choir.

Style: Gospel choirs; very traditional.

’Tis the reason to be jolly: Malone gives some of the nation’s choirs a shot at the big time.

Scrooge moan: Why has Gareth has picked so many depressing songs to cover with his talented choirs? Only pick this up if you like your Christmas albums slightly sad, but tinged with nostalgia.

White Christmas? Surprisingly not.

Blue Christmas? Very!

Stocking or shocking? Sad songs or not, if there was ever an ideal stocking filler for your mum or grandmother, this is it.

Alexander Ross

Loretta Lynn: first Yuletide album in 50 years

Loretta Lynn, White Christmas Blue (Sony Music/Legacy Recordings) ****
Wrapping: Christmas essentials of red (Loretta's spangly party dress and matching name plate), green (album title, holly and bow) and white (background)...but no blue, despite the title. 
Gifts inside: Kentucky queen of country's first Yuletide album in 50 years, aged 84, as part of her Cash Cabin Recordings series at Hendersonville, Tennessee. Twelve new recordings split between traditional carols (Away In A Manger, Oh (sic) Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night), seasonal favourites (Winter Wonderland, Jingle Bells, Frosty The Snowman) and country chestnuts.
Style: Proper old country, pedal steel guitar and all y'all, at its best on Country Christmas and To Heck With Ole Santa Claus.
’Tis the reason to be jolly: The one new song, Loretta and Shawn Camp's title track, is an instant lonesome Christmas classic.
Scrooge moan: The carols are disappointingly dreary.
White Christmas? Yes, wintry yet homely.
Blue Christmas? Yes again, in rockin' good Elvis style. Put the two together and you have White Christmas Blue too of course. 
Stocking or shocking? Still ain't no country voice better than Loretta. No shock there.
Charles Hutchinson

Cara Dillon: "Light and dark songs"

Cara Dillon, Upon A Winter's Night (Charcoal Records) ****
Wrapping: Classic Christmas palette of gold and white on front, frosted trees inside, and pale-toned portraits of Cara, either recreating her schooldays Nativity Plays or, giving her the benefit of the doubt, posing in beatific Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus mode. 
Gifts inside: Songs of "light and dark", ancient and modern, in welcome Irish folk "antidote to 21st century Yuletide excess". Infant Holy, Infant Lowly, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Mother Mary and a cappella O Holy Night have reverence and wonder so rare on Christmas records. 
Style: Serious and seriously Irish; faithful and full of faith; sentiment but not sentimental. 
’Tis the reason to be jolly: Wonderfully evokes wintry Christmas landscapes we seldom experience, typified by The Holly And The Ivy and The Darkest Midnight.
Scrooge moan: More light amid the dark would have been welcome.
White Christmas? No, and only one song with Christmas in its title, Standing By My Christmas Tree.
Blue Christmas? As blue as toes after Boxing Day walk through frosted woodland.
Stocking or shocking? Stocking, of course, but shocking that it stands so alone as a sincere, beautiful, crystal-sung winter record.
Charles Hutchinson

Tommy Emmanuel: "Gentle and genial as a glass of mulled wine"

Tommy Emmanuel, Christmas Memories (Thirty Tigers) ***
Wrapping: Forgotten as soon as it's opened, even Emmanuel’s Christmas jumper. 
Gifts inside: Twelve warm festive songs from guitarist’s guitarist (Chet Atkins put him in his top three) with his band. Shuns any celebrity mash-ups and no sign of Kanye West. 
Style: Gentle and genial as a glass of mulled wine, with country favours and bluegrass undertones.
’Tis the reason to be jolly: When you get past the pleasant but generic singing of Ann Sellick, Emmanuel finally comes into his own on closing two songs; the instrumental Christmas Memories/Waltzing Matilda, then a version of Amazing Grace that justifies all that’s drifted past before. 
Scrooge moan: Atmosphere of Emmanuel's live shows is lost on a sleigh ride somewhere to the north, replaced with studio-created air of blandness. 
White Christmas? Yes. First 50 seconds are great, the rest rather grey.
Blue Christmas? Nothing lachrymose in sight.
Stocking or shocking? Certain to upset anyone looking for edgy festive fare, this will be as welcome as old slippers for those with fondness for country acoustic guitars.
Paul Rhodes

The Albion Band at Christmas: "Return to a simpler Christmastime"

The Albion Christmas Band, Magic Touch (Talking Elephant Records) ***

Wrapping: Cute combination of festive pictures and the musicians themselves. Find them hidden among the robins, holly and figgy pudding. 
Gifts inside: Fourteen tracks, starting with See Amid The Winter’s Snow and travelling through The Albion Band’s versions of modern folk hits, traditional songs and spoken-word contributions, such as Ted Hughes’s Minstrel Song.
Style: Folk!
’Tis the reason to be jolly: About as far as you can get from Santa Claus on a Coke advert, Black Friday sales, and mile-long queues at the supermarket check-out on Christmas Eve. An anti-commercial-Christmas album.
Scrooge moan: Too low key to get the party started.
White Christmas? No.
Blue Christmas? Plenty of sad songs, especially Christmas Eve, 1914.
Stocking or shocking? Stocking-bound, especially for a folk fan. The combination of Simon Nicol of the Fairport Convention, Albion Band alumni Kellie While, Simon Care of Edward II and the Albion Band’s founder Ashley Hutchings will impress alone. Play it to return to a simpler Christmastime.
Victoria Prest

Kylie: "Bringing joy to the world"

Kylie Minogue, Kylie Christmas, Snow Queen Edition (Parlophone) ****
Wrapping: Kylie is truly gorgeous. Wrapped in very little indeed, Kylie looks like cross between New York Rockette and a top Victoria Secret model.
Gifts inside: Actually, Snow Queen Edition is a re-release of last year’s Kylie Christmas album with six new tracks. Guests include James Cordon, Iggy Pop, sister Dannii, Mika and by supernatural technology Mr Frank Sinatra on Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.
Style: The Kylie sound defines pop doesn’t it? Miss Minogue plays lots of covers of the most commercial currency, including seasonal classics by Paul McCartney, Wizard, Yazoo and East 17.
'Tis the reason to be jolly: Kylie brings JOY to the world.
Scrooge moan: The French edition has an additional cover of The Bee Gees Night Fever that's proven difficult and expensive to track down.
White Christmas? No, but Wonderful Christmastime and I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday are here.
Blue Christmas? Strangely a cover of The Pretenders’ bleak 2000 Miles makes an appearance.
Stocking or shocking? Kylie, Christmas and stockings go together!
Ian Sime

Olivia: Topping the Aussie album chart at Christmas

Olivia Newton-John & John Farnham, Friends For Christmas (Sony) *****
Wrapping: They make a good looking couple, John & Olivia. Australian rock aristocracy reunites once again, suitably attired for a rather swish sophisticated do, perhaps at Governor’s House?
Gifts inside: Chong Lin conducting the Sydney International Orchestra and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir help make this rather grand project rather special.
Style: John and Olivia sing the classics, mostly on the secular side, but also a trio of hymns, including Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and a rather stirring Little Drummer Boy, all presented as if part of a high budget TV Christmas Special.
'Tis the reason to be jolly: Aussies have taken this album to their hearts; it's topping the Aussie chart for Christmas.
Scrooge moan: Unlikely the couple will be in the UK over Christmas.
White Christmas? Absolutely present and correct, as are Silent Night, The Christmas Song and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. 
Blue Christmas? Not really. This is a positive and joyful experience.
Stocking or shocking? Aussies love John Farnham and everyone loves Olivia. What’s not to like?
Ian Sime

York Waits: "Old-style merrymaking without commercial guff"

York Waits & Deborah Catterall; Crions Nouel (Huntsup Records) *****
Wrapping: Renaissance picture of an angel playing a stringed instrument (nicely repeated on the disc itself). Multiple illustrations/images in the excellent booklet.
Gifts inside: 17 tracks, some with several items, fitting subtitle "Music for the Christmas season from the chapels, halls, taverns and streets of renaissance Europe".
Style: Early music without pretentiousness. Mainly outdoor instruments, like shawms, sackbuts (early trombones) and bagpipes, but with gentler strings and recorders. Catterall supplies supple soprano vocals.
'Tis the reason to be jolly: Evokes old-style merrymaking without commercial guff. Several very jolly numbers, including title track, two Spanish numbers, and some quaint Flemish bagpipes in harmony. Highlight is Byrd's wonderful From Virgin's Womb, sung with low recorders.
Scrooge moan: None. The Waits might try collaborating with a small vocal group.
White Christmas? Bing yet to be born.
Blue Christmas? Nothing sad.
Stocking or shocking? Belongs in the stockings of musical children of all ages. Evokes Christmas as it should be celebrated, in all its colours.
Martin Dreyer

Christmas without Pavarotti? "Christmas barely gets a look-in," says Martin Dreyer

Luciano Pavarotti in Christmas With Pavarotti (Decca) **
Wrapping: Bearded phizog of star backed by snowy blue skies, in folding sleeve.
Gifts inside: 34 tracks on two discs of arias and songs, only half a dozen Christmas-related. Other celebs include Domingo and Carreras (as part of The Three Tenors) on four tracks, plus one-offs from Lionel Richie, Sting, Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton.
Style: Operatic throughout, with little variation in tone or approach.
'Tis the reason to be jolly: Some good orchestras, and a lively Feliz Natividad. 25,000 euros from sales go to the Pavarotti Foundation.
Scrooge moan: Christmas barely gets a look-in. Even then, Silent Night with The Three Tenors is enough to wake the dead. Baroque arias get the same full-on treatment as Romantic ones.
White Christmas? Mercifully not, despite sleeve.
Blue Christmas? A Miserere and an extract from the Berlioz Requiem – at Christmas?
Stocking or shocking? If you must play this rehash, wait till after Christmas dinner, then gift it to a tombola. Not stocking-fit, except for diehard fans.
Martin Dreyer

Cunningham's songbook: "Great singing and arrangements"

Phil Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook (Vertical Records) ***

Wrapping: Very festive, like a box of shortbread, with a tartan ribbon and gift tag listing contributors (who include Eddi Reader and John McCusker).

Gifts inside: A stocking-busting 17 tracks, but 26 songs in total because seven segue into other tracks. Contributors include Capercaillie’s Karen Matheson and Lau’s Kris Deaaver as well as the Songbook Brass Ensemble.

Style: Scottish/folk.

’Tis the reason to be jolly: Great singing and arrangements, as sophisticated as a vintage sherry.

Scrooge moan: A jaunty jazz-swing version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman is just all wrong.

White Christmas? Oh yes, saved ‘til last!

Blue Christmas? This is Scottish folk – so of course there’s plenty of melancholia too. Check out track 14, the country-styled I Know The Reason.

Stocking or shocking? Perfect for a golden oldie relative, who’s partial to shortbread, whisky and toe-tappin’.

Maxine Gordon

Garth and Trisha: first duets album

Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood, Christmas Together (Gwendolyn Records) ***

Wrapping: Very un-festive snap of Mr & Mrs Country snuggled together on the cover, he in a Stetson rather than a Santa hat – missed opportunity, surely.

Gifts inside: Songs inside make up for lack of festive cover: Santa Baby, Feliz Navidad and Baby It’s Cold Outside are just some of the 11 tracks.

Style: Modern country.

’Tis the reason to be jolly: Country fans will enjoy this first duets album from Garth and his wife, although the most interesting collaboration is the last track, where James Taylor joins them for What I’m Thankful For.

Scrooge moan: Ugly Christmas Sweater is a rather silly song with no redeeming features (bit like a Christmas sweater itself!).

White Christmas? No song, but there is a white Christmas tree on the back of the CD.

Blue Christmas? Not quite blue, but you could get smoochy to What Are You Doing on New Year’s Eve?

Stocking or shocking? Definitely stocking! A different Christmas album for country fans young and old.

Maxine Gordon

Chris Young: "Country twist on well-known festive tunes"

Chris Young, It Must Be Christmas (Sony Music Entertainment)***

Wrapping: Unsurprisingly, thecover has a festive feel, with twinkling background of warmred colours. Simple design with Young dressed in winter coat and scarf; unless you recognise him, it mightnot grab your attention when browsing shelves.

Gifts inside: Ten tracks, two of them original Christmas songs, the others being festive favourites, such as Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas andThe Christmas Song. Guest appearances from country icons Alan Jackson on There’s A New Kid In Town and Brad Paisley on The First Noel and legendary soul trio Boyz II Men for moving take on Silent Night.

Style: Country twist on some well-known festive tunes, mixed with a bit of jazz and soul.

’Tis the reason to be jolly: Evokes the spirit of Christmas; easy listening.

Scrooge moan: Needs more cheesy Christmas songs.

White Christmas? Not this Christmas.

Blue Christmas? Only Silent Night, if you consider that sad; others may see it as soothing.

Stocking or shocking? Worth a listen but not essential for anyone’s Christmas collection.

Daniel Willers

Aled Jones: "Aled Jones. At Christmas. Exactly what it says on the tin."

Aled Jones, One Voice At Christmas (Decca/Classic FM) ***

Wrapping: Typically festive, Jones in a scarf and coat next to snowy buildings, carrying a gift-wrapped photoof himself as a young choirboy – top of everyone’s Christmas list.

Gifts inside: 13 songs, including a duet with his younger self on his most famous hit Walking In The Air, a version of Silent Night with guitarist John Williams, and Little Drummer Boy featuring one of 2016’s biggest losses, Sir Terry Wogan.

Style: Aled Jones. At Christmas. Exactly what it says on the tin.

’Tis the reason to be jolly: Well, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a little bit of Aled Jones, would it? Wonderful string arrangements, and the John Williams guitar is lovely. Little Drummer Boy is always a good listen too – it’s no Bing and Bowie, but it works.

Scrooge moan: Saccharine, syrupy and despite the talent on show, a little one-note. He’s good at whathe does, but a bit of variety would be most welcome.

White Christmas? Nope.

Blue Christmas? Depends on your view on choral and traditional carols and hymns.

Stocking or shocking? Great present for grandparents and fans of Classic FM.

Dan Bean