The feeling of Christmas is squeezing out everywhere and in just about every way imaginable. One of the hallmarks of a Holiday season is that the labels start rolling out their Christmas title offerings quite early. One of those releases is a new collection of Amy Grant Holiday tunes that have been recorded years earlier and included in several albums. This collection also adds a few new recordings to round out the Amy Grant - The Christmas Collection.

The album starts out with a new Grant recording, a jazzy arrangement of “Jingle Bells” that Amy Grant drew inspiration from when she heard a similar arrangement on A Christmas Album by Barbra Streisand. I'm not crazy about this non-traditional arrangement of the song but it is enjoyed by many. But the amends are made on her rendition of “It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” a song that I think is nearly impossible for anyone to mangle. Grant's version is sweet and ready for a variety Holiday show like they used to show on TV. It's followed by a new track, the very nice original tune, “I Need a Silent Night.”

Grant's four new songs that include the previously mentioned “I Need a Silent Night,” and “Jingle Bells,” are “Baby, It's Christmas,” and “Count Your Blessings.” In addition to the new cuts, the best tracks selected from three previous Holiday releases are messaged in and provided a slick, Holiday cover.

Amy Grant provides a superb style that hails back to wonderful times that many of us remember, a style that fits well with the variety specials of the '60s. If you do not have the previous three albums of Amy Grant holiday tunes, then this collection with its added bonus of 4 new tunes is a nice add to your library of Holiday recordings. The Christmas collection with its pleasant renditions of “Sleigh Ride,” “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “Silent Night,” and other traditionals, as well as a batch of Grant originals will make hearts warm with the solemnity of the season.