Happy Xmas, Michaela Anne (Yep Roc)

This Nashville-based artist has been around on Americana radio for a few years now, and for 2022 she dropped this holiday EP. Nothing remarkable in song choices; she renders four familiar holiday tunes, three from the rock-pop canon and one classic, in a folky-pop style. The classic, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," runs with the "muddle through" lyric, and her version of Joni Mitchell's "River" is a straight reading of the original. She does mellower versions of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" and "Last Christmas," and the latter might be the best of the four tunes here, retaining the original arrangement with a bit earthier delivery. This will be greeted warmly by her fans; the rest of you might pine for something a bit livelier.