Tinsel Tunes for 2024

New holiday songs and albums to play this season

By Ross Boissoneau | Nov. 30, 2024

It’s that time of year again, when the 250 different versions of “The Christmas Song” playing on the radio and in stores are relieved only by Wham!’s “Last Christmas.” Over and over again. But even if it isn’t on the mainstream waves, each year brings something new, or at least someone new releasing a holiday collection.

The best ones bring back a rush of memories: decorating the tree, family gatherings, caroling trips, and more. Or maybe it’s a new song amongst the old destined to become a classic. (Who would have thought 40 years ago that a slick, synthesized “Deck the Halls” would propel the baroque and roll Mannheim Steamroller to holiday star status?)

So here is a selection of some new tinsel tunes, from country twang to steely drums to—wait, is that the soulful swagger of the mighty Tower of Power? Yes. Yes it is.

Tower of Power, It’s Christmas

“I didn’t want to do it,” says TOP bandleader Emilio Castillo about recording a holiday album. Reached by phone between tour dates, he says the idea came from his manager. “It was my manager, Ivory Daniel. He said, ‘You’re going to do a Christmas album. You need to do it, and you need to do it now. This is a gift that keeps on giving.’”

So here is It’s Christmas, and to no one’s surprise, it bears the signature sound of TOP: funky horns, chunky rhythms, soulful singing, with some holiday joy. “What we realized is no matter what we did, it sounds like Tower of Power,” says Castillo. “Tom Bowes [one of the band’s many lead singers] said there’s never any need to worry. You guys could play the yellow pages and it would sound like Tower of Power.”

Perhaps the most engaging tune is the opener, the band’s take on holiday chestnut “The Christmas Song.”

“Joe Vanelli [who produced the album with Castillo] said, ‘I think I want to do a blazing instrumental.’ I said, ‘The Christmas Song’ as a blazing instrumental? You’re kidding me.’”

Spoiler alert: He wasn’t. The tune features Mike Bogart and Adolfo Acosta on flugelhorn and trumpet solos, set off by Jerry Cortez’s growling guitar. Other highlights include the band’s stellar version of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” sung by Mike Jerel, who trades off leads with Castillo, and the concluding “Christmas Medley,” incorporating “O Christmas Tree,” “Christmas Time Is Here” and “What Child Is This.”

The project was started last year, and the band put together a six-song EP that was only available at Tower of Power shows. “No downloads, no streaming,” says Castillo. The group finished off the album this year and is currently performing six songs from it on a Christmas tour. And yes, it’s now available on CD, download, and streaming. Happy holidays!

Ben Folds, Sleigher

Like Tower of Power’s new album, this creation was a suggestion to pianist/vocalist Folds, albeit from his record label rather than manager. It produced a 10-track album featuring seven originals. Folds told Variety that when he first started working on it, his initial thought was to do mostly covers and whip up a couple originals. It turned out only three made the final cut: the Mills Brothers’ “You Don’t Have to Be a Santa Claus,” which he says is basically a Depression-era sentiment that asks why people don’t just help others all year long. Another is a little-known Burt Bacharach/Herb Alpert collaboration, “The Bell That Couldn’t Jingle.” And he couldn’t resist singing about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. But his originals are what shine.

Kelly Clarkson, “You For Christmas”

Clarkson’s new holiday single is bold pop-rock that suits her style perfectly. Think an updated Darlene Love or Ronnie Spector. With its pounding beat and backing girl group harmonies, it’s reminiscent of the Ronettes meeting Mariah Carey at her least florid.

Cher and Kelly Clarkson, “DJ Play A Christmas Song”

But wait, there’s more: Cher updated last year’s single by teaming up with Clarkson for a new version of “DJ Play A Christmas Song” in which the two discourse on the best holiday: “I wanna be dancing, dancing, that’s the only thing I want this year.” With the synthesizers, beats, and reverb turned up to 11, there’s really very little Christmasy about the track. Great for the clubs though.

Romero Lubambo & Pamela Driggs, Christmastime In Rio

Christmastime in Rio is part homage to classics like Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald, part tribute to the rhythms of bossa nova, samba, and Brazilian waltz, and all lovely. Driggs’s warm voice and Lubambo’s acoustic guitar shine, and prominent in the mix are piano, vibes, and accordion (!), which all beautifully set off the vocals. Original compositions like “Winter Reverie” and “Holiday of Love” and traditional classics are given gentle acoustic treatments. Seek this one out.

Jennifer Hudson, The Gift of Love

Hudson’s first holiday album opens with a tender “Hallelujah,” which soon morphs into a powerful, nearly overwrought showcase for her voice. “Winter Wonderland” features a driving beat from the orchestra, reminiscent of the big band extravaganzas by the likes of Sinatra and Johnny Mathis. Hudson puts her big voice to use on sacred fare like “O Holy Night,” traditional tunes like “Little Drummer Boy,” and originals alike. Hudson struts her stuff throughout—though whether that approach is always a positive is questionable.

Ben Levin, Ben Levin Presents A Holiday Blues Revue

Inspired by classic holiday blues recordings from artists like Freddy King, Charles Brown, and Amos Milburn, pianist Levin recorded his first holiday-themed track in 2019. Now he’s finally completed the project. “The sun’s going and Santa’s on his sleigh, now’s the time the elves come out to play,” sings Levin on “Elf Boogie,” and that mood permeates the disc. Consisting mostly of originals, it showcases a number of different singers, including the leader. The constant throughout is Levin’s keyboards, with rollicking piano runs on “Elf Boogie,” shimmering electric piano on “Next Christmas,” and his unexpected organ on Vince Guaraldi’s “Skating.”

Band Of Other Brothers, This Year At Christmas

Keyboardist Jeff Babko (Jimmy Kimmel, Martin Short), bassist Will Lee (David Letterman), saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews), versatile guitarist Nir Felder, and Keith Carlock (Steely Dan) on drums put holiday music in a whole new light. Think late-night jazz, and you’re at least part way there. Much of the album bears little resemblance to a traditional approach: “Silent Night” is nearly unrecognizable, and “Good King Wenceslas” even more so. You’ve been warned. But think of it less as a Christmas album and more as a jazz noir album with references to the holidays, and it becomes one of the most enjoyable seasonal releases.

Little Big Town, The Christmas Record

The country quartet kicks off its new holiday venture with the original “Glow,” so you can “find that magic, let the light in you show.” That’s the first of the album’s original songs, mixed with some holiday classics. “If We Make It Through December” showcases the band’s gorgeous harmonies, while the swelling strings on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” set the stage for their voices, which also shine on Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time Is Here.”

Joy Lapps & Larnell Lewis, The Caribbean Christmas Mixtape

Steel drum player Joy Lapps and her husband, drummer Larnell Lewis (Snarky Puppy), harness the sound of the Caribbean for a set of holiday favorites. Pans for Christmas? Why not? The couple are first generation Afro-Caribbean Canadians, and the recording features jazz-infused soca, zouk, reggae, and ska. Joy’s sister Subria sings throughout the album, but it’s the zesty steel drumming that commands the most attention. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is perhaps the most engaging tune, while a reggae-fied “Carol Of The Bells” demonstrates a different approach to that well-worn staple. Most curious is “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” where the pans appear to be in 4/4 while the rest of the band is in 5/4.

Brett Eldredge, Merry Christmas (Welcome to the Family)

More than a third of Eldredge’s recorded output (three of his eight albums) has been comprised of music for the holidays. When they’re as enjoyable as this, you can understand why. The album’s eight tracks are all originals, and Eldredge deftly weaves lyrical references into a mix of country-esque sounds. The twang is understated, which could help this find a place on the pop charts and playlists beyond those who subscribe strictly to a country aesthetic.

Laura Pursell, Three Miles From Christmas Eve

This six-track EP starts with a bang, the rollicking brass section setting up Pursell’s big voice on the title track. It’s the best of three originals bolstered by three classics: “The Christmas Song,” “Silver Bells,” and “Let It Snow.” Like Eldredge’s album, her big voice is mixed way out in front, sometimes to the detriment of the recording.

Laila Biali, Wintersongs

The Canadian songstress wrote the majority of this album (most are originals) while on a two-week writing retreat in wintry Alberta. Like Enya’s And Winter Came, it’s more about the winter season than just the holidays, but that doesn’t diminish its beauty. Unlike Eldredge or Pursell, Biali’s voice is integrated in the song rather than in your face, starting with the nearly wordless “Drifting Down the Ice,” which opens the recording. Flute and the leader’s piano frame her vocals on “Rocky Mountain Lullaby” while “Dance of the Pines” sets off Biali’s voice with strings and Jane Bunnett’s soprano sax. If you’re looking for a new favorite sans Rudolph, Frosty, and a one-horse open sleigh, this would be an excellent choice.

A Few More Listens

There’s plenty more where these came from, including efforts by Mickey Thomas (Starship), Brandy, Lea Salonga, Rick Braun, Robert Glasper, Alex Bird (takes a breath), plus Valerie June, Joe Bonamassa, Finish Ticket, and a new holiday song from John Lodge, late of the Moody Blues, written and recorded in the wake of a stroke he suffered last holiday season. So for him and hopefully for you, this will be a merry Christmas indeed.