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In a stimulating holiday outing, LeAnn Rimes comes down firmly on the side of classic, string-laden pop as a conceit, and contemporary R&B vocalizing as a style. It's a bit jarring to hear her trying to sound like, say, Toni Braxton, but Rimes has her moments nonetheless. A sprightly big-band version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" evokes the Brenda Lee classic, but the robust, and very active, horn section -- from which a big, honking sax steps out for a swinging solo -- gives it a new feel. On the thoughtful end of the scale, "White Christmas" blends a small combo (guitar, piano, brush drums) with a subtly employed string section in a dreamy arrangement that Rimes cuddles up to with a wistful, vibrato-rich vocal. Amid the classics here, though, are three original songs. "A Different Kind of Christmas," featuring Sheila E. on percussion and Leland Sklar on bass, is a muted celebration of a Yuletide that has been forever altered by social and political turmoil (without ever mentioning any specific event); the lyric "It's a different kind of Christmas / In a different kind of world," serves as a most apt post-9/11 sentiment, and the heaviness in Rimes's voice emphasizes the point. "Just Love Me," on the other hand, is a slinky, country blues–tinged come-on, with dobro and harmonica establishing a funky ambiance and Rimes growling seductively about the good lovin' she wants gift-wrapped especially for her. The third original, the winsome ballad "Miss You Like Christmas," rides on a cushion of romantic strings and piano accompaniment, with Rimes using both throaty, bluesy entreaties and aching falsetto cries to bring home the poignancy of a woman alone and lonely while others celebrate around her.
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TRACK LISTINGS
1 Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree 2:40
2 A Different Kind of Christmas 3:41
3 White Christmas 4:30
4 All I Want for Christmas 3:53
5 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 4:01
6 What a Wonderful World 2:58
7 The Christmas Song 4:11
8 Just Love Me 2:47
9 Miss You Like Christmas 3:41
10 O Holy Night 3:41
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