American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics  (Audio CD) 
by Various Artists

You've watched them on TV and followed them in the media. Now six of the American Idol winners perform 10 of the season's holiday best. American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics is a bona fide AI songfest for Christmas, featuring Clay Aiken, Rueben Studdard, Tamyra Gray, Kimberly Locke, Justin Guarni and Christina Christian. With two tunes featuring the entire ensemble singing "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," two duets, and a couple of cuts by Kelly Clarkson, including "My Grown Up Christmas List," this is a crowd pleaser arranged and lushly orchestrated for fans of the show and fine mainstream singing. The real stars seem to shine though on Christian's playful and seductive "Winter Wonderland" and Studdard's soulful pipes on "This Christmas." Overall it's a rewarding set that's almost too perfect. It seems to beg for a little levity a la William Hung. --Martin Keller