Carrie Underwoods first Christmas album is a stately, sober affair. Part of this is due to the pomp and circumstance Greg Wells -- a Grammy winner for his work on The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack -- lends to the production. Everything on My Gift proceeds at a steady pace, adorned with very few bells and whistles, a sparse choice that helps highlight how Underwood chooses to sing primarily religious-themed material. The exceptions to this rule are the John Stephens/Toby Gad number Hallelujah, sung as a duet with John Legend, and the secular standard Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, selections that highlight how the other nine songs are more somber celebrations, including her new original Let There Be Peace. Not all of it is tasteful -- having her young son Isaiah Fisher sing a bit of The Little Drummer Boy conjures memories of Clint Holmes Playground in My Mind -- but enough of it is to make this a soundtrack for an understated, rather elegant holiday gathering. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rovi