Every year the festive season brings with it a new wave of Christmas releases, and 2024 is no exception. A new series of albums brings a mix of cheer, nostalgia and fresh takes on holiday traditions. From the haunting beauty of “Unthanks” to the powerful vocals of Jennifer Hudson, this year’s collection offers a rich and varied soundtrack for the season.

Here, our critic picks some of this year’s best – and worst – deals. Which of these new albums will be the soundtrack to your Christmas? Let us know in the comments below.

The ingratitude

In winter
Hetzer
★★★★★
Christmas isn’t complete without a bit of frosty folklore, and this year it’s thanks to the group Unthanks It is based on the harmonizing voices of Northeastern sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank, who ensure this. And while the gold standard of seasonal folk album remains the Watersons’ 1965 classic Frost and fireThis elegant reminder of the spirit of winter is beautiful, atmospheric and profound enough to take its place next to it. The cherry tree song is one of the strangest traditional British ballads: a 15th-century story about a magical tree that bends to offer its fruit to a pregnant Mary after Joseph refuses to pick it for her. The Unthanks’ heavily accented voices bring the old material to life, complemented by Adrian McNally’s piano, while the sober mood adds a palate cleanser to the sweet confection of mostly celebratory music. How about it Coventry Carolwhich is not good news for everyone, but rather the Massacre of the Innocents, in which King Herod killed all boys under the age of two? If nothing else, it makes a change of Mistletoe and wine.

Jennifer Hudson

The gift of love
Interscope
★★★★☆
Christmas is the time of year when a big star releases the classics with a professionalism that will amaze us mere mortals. Step forward: Jennifer Hudson, the youngest woman to ever win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award (making her an EGOT), tackling the festive favorites with forceful style. The gift of love is the album equivalent of Christmas lights at Harrods: lush, spectacular, reassuringly traditional. Hudson beats up Leonard Cohens Hallelujah into the stratosphere – the 12 second sustained note at the end alone should win her a slew of new accolades – while My favorite things becomes an orchestral epic for which she goes into full Disney princess mode and trills high notes. Elsewhere, her gospel rendition of Go and tell it on the mountain, and borderline funky Little drummer boy, advocates for the value of a childhood spent singing in church and becoming the best at what you do. There are no surprises here and a few less overly roasted chestnuts would have been welcome, but this is an artful, unashamedly nostalgic take on the standards, and very enjoyable with it.

Small big city

The Christmas record
Capitol Nashville
★★★☆☆
This four-piece country music group from Alabama has its roots in Christian singing groups, so it makes sense that they not only exude a wholesome vibe, but also make the most of the birth of Christ. Funnily enough, they barely concern themselves with the religious aspects of the holiday, instead offering a cheesy but entertaining mix of originals and covers. They gently interpret the moving, melancholic music by Vince Guaraldi and Lee Mendelson Christmas time is herewhile Treat yourself to a Merry Christmas receives the orchestral arrangement and the classic by Merle Haggard If we make it to December is revived in an authentic, self-pitying way. New songs such as: Glowa celebration of the season with vaguely motivational lyrics, stand out for being noticeably worse than old favorites, but on the whole Little Big Town’s clean country take on the festive album is pretty fun.

Robert Glasper

In December
Concord
★★☆☆☆
Since he is one of the great pianists and arrangers of modern jazz, it is a surprise that Robert Glasper is making a Christmas album. Even more surprising is the fact that it vacillates between tradition and original, arriving at a strangely banal middle ground. Little drummer boy becomes a meandering easy-listening odyssey as Cynthia Erivo shows up to deliver a low-key melody God rest, you happy gentlemen over what sounds like a 21st century form of Muzak. Even Have a Merry Christmaswhich is generally guaranteed to fill the listener with a good mood, becomes a kind of jazz-funk background tune that brings to mind slightly depressing cocktail bars. There are moments in particular when you break out of the paralysis memories with mom, In it, Tarriona “Tank” Ball remembers her mother’s dedication to making the season special for the kids, “between hits on the head and overtime.” On the whole, however, Glasper and the festive season don’t mix well.

Jimmy Fallon

Christmas spice
republic
★☆☆☆☆
Jimmy Fallon may be one of the greatest late-night chat show hosts in recent memory, but that’s no excuse for him to release one of the most annoying Christmas albums in history. Christmas ding dong seems designed for the sole purpose of driving the listener to the brink of insanity as the Jonas Brothers do their sassy pop thing over a terrible, tinny backing track Vacation. Elsewhere, scores of stars line up to embarrass themselves: Justin Timberlake brags about chowing down on cookies and eggnog while playing a cod reggae tune You will be there and Ariana Grande and Megan Thee Stallion can’t save It was a… (Masked Christmas) From a charmless story about dealing with the Christmas season during Covid lockdown – you know it’s truly desperate when a completely unfunny song ends with a forced laugh from one of its singers. Fallon’s characterless vocals sound like they were generated by AI, just like Will Ferrell’s A glove is just terrible and even the presence of the Roots can’t help Hello Rudy of a hip-hop debacle. All in all, it’s enough to make you long for January.

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