You Wish, various artists (Merge)

Longtime indie-Americana label Merge got a bunch of folks who record under its banner to contribute to this 2019 Christmas album, offering some interesting original takes on the holiday along with a fair number of covers. The Essex Green makes a folk-rock appeal for a "Green Christmas," Mike Krol's "Won't Be Alone Tonight" is a fine power pop ode to holiday love and happiness, Coco Hames is a spurned singer in "Keep Your Christmas," Mac McCaughan and Annie Hayden offer a warm ode to the snow in "Down We Go (Sledding Song)," and Fruit Bats offer a folk music narration of the Nativity in "Baby In the Hay." Merge notes that Telekinisis' "Christmas Time Is Here (Uh Oh)" was pitched to Cheap Trick for their Christmas album a couple years back but failed to make the lineup; it's just as well, as this uptempo holiday rocker fares just as well in this band's performance. Mikal Cronin gives his original "Christmastime Heist" a touch of Phil Spector in the intro before dialing it back in the verses; it's about the singer's past experience starring in a Christmas musical. Eric Bachman offers the downbeat "I Was Made for Losing You," Will Butler's "Love Asked Me To Stay" appears to have been answered with a firm "no," and Tracyanne and Danny gently ask the musical question "Santa, Don't Say No." Among the covers, Hiss Golden Messinger recruits Lucinda Williams for a cover of John Prine's "Christmas In Prison," William Tyler strips down Big Star's "Jesus Christ" for an acoustic instrumental rendition, Apex Manor goes country-folk on "White Christmas," and the Shout Out Louds conclude things with a etherial arrangement on a downtempo "Blue Christmas." Thank Merge for bringing us a fine anthology of current artists waxing emotional on the holiday.