Joe Nichols - A Traditional Christmas

Too often country music stars make grand orchestral Christmas albums that allow them to stretch their wings a bit. Joe Nichols wants none of that. In fact, A Traditional Christmas couldn't have a more perfect title. It's a tasteful collection of traditional and some modern standard Christmas songs. There's not a bad track on the whole CD.

It’s a country music “rite of passage” of sorts. Record and release a couple of successful albums and suddenly the record label sees an opportunity for a holiday release. Some artists, like George Strait, Martina McBride and Garth Brooks have released traditionally based albums while others like Lee Ann Womack, Jo Dee Messina and SHeDAISY have recorded stylistically diverse albums that allowed them to stretch beyond the typical country fare. Joe Nichols’s first Christmas CD, “A Traditional Christmas” falls in the same category as its title suggests.

There’s no over-the-top production, new songs or even orchestral stuff. It’s just 10 classically and tastefully done traditional and modern classic songs. From “Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” to the Mel Tormé chestnut “The Christmas Song,” the record consistently pleases. One of my all time favorite songs is “Away In A Manger” and Joe does one of the best versions of it that I’ve ever heard. Other highlights are “White Christmas” and another favorite of mine, “O Holy Night.”

The best Christmas albums are often the ones which cut out all the glitz and the glamour in favor of the traditional arrangements and vocal readings. Joe Nichols’s “A Traditional Christmas” is a fine holiday album that may just become a classic.