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


Despite her ineptitude in making personal life decisions, Whitney Houston can still sing. Sure she went from America's Sweetheart to a drugged-out, Mecca-seeking, beat-up uber-diva, but not even Bobby Brown can screw up her God-given gold-plated pipes. While the album starts off featuring a light jazz-backed breathless Houston, she picks up speed on "Little Drummer Boy" (which showcases her daughter Bobbi Kristina) and "Cantigue De Noel (O Holy Night)." Her phrasing in the latter is especially impressive, only outshined by her national anthem-esque belting of the range-defying chorus. The title track "One Wish (For Christmas)" is a mediocre ditty soon to join the ranks of forgettable modern holiday tunes, but these days, such a track almost seems obligatory. Bottom line, Houston still has the gusto that started her off as a flawless pop icon and carried her into divadom. It's a nice change of pace to see her use it in the studio, instead of her all too often occurring marital brawls.