Christmas Offerings, Third Day (Essential/Sony BMG)

This Christian rock band leaps into the fray for 2006 with their own holiday platter. It's a solid offering, blending nine classic carols with four originals and also mixing live and studio performances. The lead singer sounds a bit like Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam, though instrumentally they're a perfectly mainstream rock band, sort of like Vertical Horizon. The originals, not surprisingly, are strongly religious. "Born in Bethlehem" is the Nativity story at ballad tempo with strings; "Jesus, Light of the World" is a midtempo reflection from the modern day; "Chrismas Like a Child," recorded live, seeks to recapture the childlike reaction to the holiday; and "Merry Christmas" is a kind of magnum opus that contrasts our homes of plenty against orphans in China. The hidden cut is "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," group-sung a cappella. UPDATE: For 2011, the album is reissued with a live DVD included.