Lady Antebellum - On This Winter's Night (2012)

Part of Lady A's appeal is how they've mastered the quiet moments, sounding smooth even at their loudest. That aspect of their personality is absent on their 2012 holiday album On This Winter's Night, about as big and bold a Christmas album as they come. Lady A's approach is very modern, as they rely on secular standards from a variety of styles, copping Phil Spector's jingling, ornate Wall of Sound for "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," covering Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas," swinging with blaring horns on "Blue Christmas," even taking the time to slow down Mariah Carey's jubilant "All I Want for Christmas Is You" down to a soulful crawl. Everything, even the pretty harmonies on "The First Noel," is given a high-gloss sheen, which doesn't make this an album for quiet snowy nights. This is a Christmas album for the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, a soundtrack for days of shopping, present-wrapping, and parties filled with good cheer.~On This Winter's Night Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine