Susan Boyle devoted 2013 to Christmas projects, including a starring role in the Christmas Candle film, so it's no great surprise that she delivered a seasonal record with
Home for Christmas; that was the design from the beginning.
Boyle had delivered a Christmas album before -- her 2010 sophomore set
Gift was a holiday album -- but
Home for Christmas doesn't bother with such niceties as elusive titles or songs that are barely seasonal (
Gift contained covers of
Lou Reed,
Leonard Cohen, and
Neil Finn, none of whom have written a Christmas tune). This is a straight-up Christmas album, anchored by "The Christmas Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the kinds of standards that are song often, sometimes reinterpreted, but, in
Boyle's hands, are sung precisely how you'd expect: gentle and exact, without a note out of place. Anybody who has followed the reality show contestant from the start of her career will not be surprised, nor will they be dissatisfied: she delivers the goods without fuss or flair, and the concentration on holiday tunes does make this a stronger Christmas album than its predecessor, as there is never a moment when it strays from its cheerful, comforting, seasonal aesthetic. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
![James Taylor at Christmas [Bonus Tracks]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602537173402_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "James Taylor at Christmas [Bonus Tracks]")
