A Very Merry Christmas from Logan Mize (Big Yellow Dog, 2023)

Logan Mize begins his holiday album the right country way with one titled "I Saw Santa In A Bar." If you want to find real country folk, you'll have more luck in a tavern than, say, at the mall. It's a fun drinking song with a Christmas theme. What follows is 10 selections of country Christmas cheer.

Although Mize gets a small demerit for covering Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime," one of the least loved holiday songs, it's nearly saved with the inclusion of cute-voiced children singing along. There are few originals on this release, and many of these tracks are the most popular ones. They include kids' favorites, like "Frosty The Snowman" and "Here Comes Santa Claus." Mize revs it up for "Run Rudolph Run," but quiets it down for "O Holy Night" and closer, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

Instrumentation is consistently country, with lots of guitar (and even a little organ here and there). It's also especially traditional country music, too, which makes it all go down easy on the ears. Mize doesn't try to reinvent any of these songs, but instead applies his plainspoken approach to familiar arrangements.

Mize sings all these songs applying in a simple, understated tone. He's certainly not trying to go all Mariah Carey on us, that's for sure. It makes for a sweet, heartfelt, merry little Christmas album.