By Richard Harrington, Washington Post Staff Writer


Whitney Houston, "One Wish -- The Holiday Album" (Arista)

Houston's first holiday album feels like a contractual obligation-slash-holding action. Her versions of standards are decidedly mainstream, more pop than R&B, with surprisingly dated arrangements (two songs come from her 1996 soundtrack for "The Preacher's Wife"). Houston seldom invests herself emotionally, only occasionally giving in to melismatic flurries that showcase her still-considerable vocal skills. The title track, the album's only original song, is not particularly memorable; neither is this album.