A New Thought For Christmas, Melissa Etheridge (Island)

I'm not so sure there's as much new to this 2008 album as Melissa would have us believe, but then I say that as someone who has been compiling Christmas music "for the rest of us" at this site for a decade now. In the liner notes, she references the ancient solstice celebrations and talks about the season of change, a theme she follows in the majority of the six originals on this disc. "Christmas in America" is a more traditional tune that was part of her greatest hits album a couple years ago, a "bring my baby home" lament. "Ring the Bells" is a duet with Salman Ahmad, and it, like "Light a Light," is an attempt to evoke holiday spirit without directly referencing Christmas. "Glorious" is a pastiche of familiar carols, and "O Night Divine" builds on "O Holy Night," with a hard rock instrumental of the carol serving as an extended introduction to the song. "It's Christmas Time" has the flavor of her big hit "Bring Me Some Water." And she does a nice job on the evergreens "Blue Christmas," "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Merry Christmas Baby." Too bad she didn't include her oft-bootlegged medley of "Happy Xmas/Give Peace a Chance," though.