Sheryl Crow - Home for Christmas

One way of measuring the “Christmas creep,” the tendency of celebrations to start earlier each year, is to listen for when seasonal songs first start getting played in stores and shopping malls. It’s hard to resist those old yuletide nuggets—especially when performed by top artists—which is why CDs like Sheryl Crow’s collection are so popular. Performed in Crow’s signature mix of blues, gospel, soul and rock ’n’ roll, Home for Christmas seems certain to become a holiday favorite.

Crow opens with the spiritual “Go Tell It on the Mountain” before offering a funky version of “The Christmas Song” and a string-filled “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” She then serves up traditional numbers like “O Holy Night,” “The Bells of St. Mary” and the Welsh aire “All Through the Night.” “Christmas Eve is when I start to really feel the meaning of Christmas,” Crow has said. “We all go to church and about 50 people come over to my family’s house. It’s something I look forward to every year.”

Home for Christmas takes on a special meaning for Crow, who has two young adopted sons, Wyatt and Levi, and said she plans to cut back on touring to spend more time with them. Significantly, the album includes two original songs: “There is a Star That Shines Tonight,” a mother’s prayer for peace, and “Long Road Home,” a soulful number from her recent 100 Miles from Memphis CD. No doubt, Crow will be singing them to her boys this Christmas.