As the sixth holiday album from
the Oak Ridge Boys
,
Celebrate Christmas
doesn't exactly cover new ground -- indeed, they've cut some of these songs before -- but as its own entity,
does provide a bit of good cheer. Much of this derives from the harmonies of the quartet -- their enduring signature that still seems cozy all these years later, helping to give the clean production some warmth. The song selection on
is fairly standard -- a lot of familiar carols and secular seasonal standards, punctuated by a couple of newer tunes -- but part of the point of the album is that traditions endure through the years:
can sing the same songs and sound the same yet different, deepening into their age and drawing sustenance for the songs and sounds they've always loved. The biggest knock against
is that it's a tad too precise and punchy but, even so, this still manages to provide a good dose of holiday fun. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine