Unwrap these gifts of song from Pentatonix, Keys and Armstrong

As we know from decades of watching Charlie Brown, Christmas time is here. ⬤ And we all know what that means – inescapable holiday music, both pensive and perky, for the next month. ⬤ There is never a dearth of new Christmas albums, primarily because they’re easy to produce – lots of covers! – and they offer a solid return on investment for an artist. How many people are still pulling out their vinyl/CD/download of Amy Grant’s “Tennessee Christmas” or The Jackson 5’s “Christmas Album” or those assorted rockers who populated the “A Very Special Christmas” charity releases popularized in the ’80s and ’90s? ⬤ This season, several familiar names have hopped into the Christmas sleigh with new offerings. Here are some of the standout tracks worth a listen: