Today Is Christmas

Editors’ Notes Giving the holidays a contemporary, soulful sheen, country pop star LeAnn Rimes strikes the perfect balance between tradition and invention on her second Christmas album. She offers up original tunes like the piano-led pop ballad “The Heartache Can Wait” and the brass-punctuated, R&B-flavored title track. Meanwhile, she slips in some surprises when tackling evergreen holiday fare, slowing down “We Need a Little Christmas” to add the maximum amount of soul, or getting sweetly jazzy on “Christmas Time Is Here.”