Seems to me that this album is somewhere in the middle. On the downside - it's clearly a quickie knock-off - how many records these days come in at less than 30 minutes in length? Ashanti does sound shrill and squeaky, especially on some of the standards (don't care for her Christmas Song, Joy To The World, or Winter Wonderland). Yes, she's definitely no Whitney. And the production is fairly bare bones.

But perceived deficits can sometimes work in one's favor. Think of the production as pleasantly mellow and understated, not cheap. And think of Ashanti's appeal as that of a sweet schoolgirl, not a melodramatic diva taking every song to the rafters. Ashanti generally knows her vocal limitations - and doesn't try to stretch her voice where it shouldn't go. The originals are simply cute, and definitely tailored for her limitations. And she does a nice job with This Christmas and Silent Night - limiting it to about two minutes probably just so it doesn't have to get all 'big' and 'diva' overdone - as listeners these days expect.

Hey, it's just plain nice background holiday music. Would you rather she had Ja Rule rapping all over it? If you keep your expectations moderate on this one, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I also appreciate that the record label is listed simply as "THE INC Records", so as not to include the word 'Murder'on a holiday record.


BORING...   November 19, 2003
Lauren (Detroit, MI)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

The first time I listened to it, I thought I was being biased so I went for another go-round and found that it was still BORING. The lyrics on the ones that she wrote herself are very uncreative. And her cover songs didnt add anything new to already established classics. Sorry Ashanti, try again next Christmas.