Holidays Flac

Following an album of originals (The Lucky Ones) and the holiday LP Evergreen, both released in 2021, Pentatonix turn out another dedicated Christmas set, Holidays Around the World, their sixth career seasonal album. Despite its name, it's loaded with traditional carols and English-language classics spanning "Jingle Bells" and "Last Christmas," however, its diverse list of guest performers include Congolese gospel singer Grace Lokwa ("Love Came on Christmas [Joy to the World x Kumama Papa])," Lebanese singer/actress Hiba Tawaji ("Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"), Filipino crossover star Lea Salonga ("Christmas in Our Hearts"), and J-pop duo Hikakin & Seikin, among others. Fellow American Meghan Trainor kicks things off with the cheerful "Kid on Christmas," one of the album's three original songs. The other new songs, the wistful "Star on Top" and power ballad "Prayers for This World," are performed by the a cappella group alone.

Faced with flagging sales on their first post-Fish release Season's End, progressive rockers Marillion paired themselves with pop producer Christopher Neil for 1991's Holidays in Eden. It wasn't exactly a move that paid either commercial or artistic dividends, as the results are so diluted and bland that one can only hope this was a desperate attempt to appease their label. There were several singles that charted in the U.K., but they could have been performed by anyone or, worse, in the case of the ringing guitars on "Cover My Eyes," it sounds as though they want to reinvent themselves as U2. It's a record that will surely disappoint fans of their more progressive work and, lacking a distinctive personality, hardly elicit excitement from newcomers.