Whitney Houston, "One Wish" (Arista)

3 of 4 bells


What's on it: Eleven tunes, mostly Christmas standards, but also two great tunes from "The Preacher's Wife" album: "Who Would Imagine a King" and "Joy to the World."

Highlights: Though noticeably more mature, Whitney's voice is still deep and skillful. Despite the controversies surrounding the diva the past couple of years, the CD, judged on its merits alone, is strong and joyful. Especially good: "O Holy Night," "O Come, O Come, Emanuel."

Grinch factor: Whitney's showboating style (you know, where she drags one note into 10 or 20) can border on the ridiculous, but it's a style that has long worked for her.

Perfect for: Dancing and singing along to while decorating the house.

-- Lori Linenberger