Joy: A Holiday Collection

may surprise some fans, since it isn't a warm, intimate acoustic album. Then again, it may not, since it arrives on the heels of the exquisitely produced, unabashedly , which had lush musical backdrops for her tunes. is a full-bodied expansion of , however -- an unashamed classicist album, featuring all of the usual delivered with strings and choirs. Because has a big, powerful, attractive voice, works, even if it is a little too predictable for its own good -- the closing "Christmas Version" of is the only true signal, musically at least, that this is a number. Surely, this album isn't a major addition to her catalog, but for hardcore fans, it may be a nice stocking stuffer. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine