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


It's not a problem that Houston's young daughter, Bobbi Kristina, lends some chirpy vocals to "Little Drummer Boy." It's too early to tell if the kid can really sing or merely carry a tune. But what, exactly, is Houston doing with those trilling r's on "ba rum-pa-pum-pum"? Talk about instant indigestion.

Her "I'll Be Home For Christmas," set against a sparse keyboard, is unusually warbly for such a powerhouse vocalist. One might have also expected Houston to take a slight risk somewhere on her first Christmas album, especially given the lukewarm reception to last year's expected blockbuster, "Just Whitney." But aside from basic drum click tracks on "Deck the Halls/Silent Night," most of "One Wish" is as predictable as the most staid adult-contemporary artist.

It's also disappointing that Houston would pull a marketing ploy like sticking two songs from "The Preacher's Wife" soundtrack on here as well. As if there aren't enough Christmas songs floating around for her to have recorded?