Books & Audiobooks
WPL offers a great selection of Christmas music on CDs and vinyl, from cozy classics to festive favourites. If your holiday plans include baking, wrapping, or simply vibing, here are five albums in our collection you’ll want on repeat this season.
Bing Crosby – Merry Christmas
Released in 1945, this album has stood the test of time as the quintessential vintage Christmas record. Bing Crosby soulfully croons with his iconic baritone voice atop lush orchestral jazz-pop instrumentation. From traditional pop to smooth jazz arrangements, this album offers some of the most elegant takes on these ubiquitous Christmas carols you’ll ever hear. A handful of the tracks also feature the Andrews Sisters singing vocal harmonies, a truly delightful and classy sound. Crosby’s signature song “White Christmas” is the highlight of the album – a timeless tune that has defined the sound of the holidays for generations. This album is like auditory comfort food, nostalgic and warm, and continues to be an essential listen this time of the year.
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Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas
The soundtrack to the classic Christmas special, Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my personal favourites to listen to during the holidays. These iconic piano-centric jazz arrangements of Christmas classics bring a sense of sophistication as well as gentle childlike wonder. Much like the TV special itself, the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s music is a perfect blend of melancholy, sincerity, and joy. In addition to the brilliant arrangements of Christmas classics, this album has some of Guaraldi’s most well known original songs: “Christmastime Is Here,” “Linus and Lucy,” and “Christmas Is Coming” are in my opinion some of the greatest jazz piano songs of all time.
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Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas
For some more modern pop flavour, you can’t beat Mariah Carey’s Christmas album. Carey’s powerhouse vocals and the irresistibly festive energy she brings to each song make this a must-listen. In addition to pop arrangements of classic Christmas carols, Carey explores the sounds of soul, gospel, and R&B throughout the album. Of course, the instant classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is the standout hit – energetic and infectiously upbeat, it is one of the few modern day songs to cement itself in the Christmas music canon. Carey’s take on Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” is a favourite of mine as well.
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Various Artists – Holidays Rule
This compilation album, produced by Chris Funk of The Decemberists, features some of the most unique reinterpretations of Christmas songs you’ll ever hear. The covers span various genres from indie rock to folk to jazz, and spotlight various artists, both old and new. The album opens with a unique and quirky take on “Sleigh Ride” by fun. Other highlights include a wonderful rendition of “The Christmas Song” by Paul McCartney – and a cover of McCartney’s own “Wonderful Christmastime” by The Shins that handily surpasses the original in my opinion.
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Kelly Clarkson – Wrapped in Red
Though known primarily as a pop singer, this album sees Kelly Clarkson expand her sound and explore a wide range of genres, from jazz to country to rock & roll. This album boasts a generous sixteen tracks, but never grows stale or repetitive due to the sheer variety of sounds on display – and it remains cohesive despite how often it jumps to a drastically different style, thanks to Clarkson’s powerful voice perfectly complementing every genre she confidently explores. In addition to Clarkson’s genre-bending takes on Christmas standards, this album contains a number of original songs – including the standout “Underneath the Tree” with its vintage 60s pop stylings. This vibrant and festive album is well worth checking out.
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