Nashville's best new Christmas albums

You might like to listen to them as the holiday draws near, next to a roaring fire as snow blankets the ground outside.

But chances are your favorite Christmas album was recorded during the hottest months of the year.

That’s the open secret about Christmas music. Record companies need a few months’ lead time to get everything in order for shopping season, so Nashville musicians often spend part of their summer holed up in a studio, trying to conjure up some Christmas spirit.

And this past summer, it seems like every studio in town must have had holiday tunes wafting out of it.

In terms of Nashville-made Christmas music, this might be the biggest year Music City has seen in a decade. Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Young, Brett Eldredge and Amy Grant are among the country greats and Christian music stars making this season a truly memorable one.

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, “Christmas Together”

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, married since 2005, chose the holidays as the theme for their first full-length duets project. “Christmas Together” is an 11-song collection of Christmas classics and unexpected surprises. The couple duet on many of the songs including a swinging, big band version of “I’m Beginning to See the Light,” “Marshmallow World” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Yearwood shines on “Santa Baby” and “Hard Candy Christmas” while Brooks goes solo on “Feliz Navidad.” Brooks enlisted James Taylor for the album’s last track “What I’m Thankful For (The Thanksgiving Song)” – a track that’s alone worth the price of the album.

Brett Eldredge, “Glow”

Brett Eldredge has been dreaming about his Christmas album since he was a child – and it shows. The 30-year-old Illinois native wanted to create an authentic, classic Christmas album in the vein of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. With “Glow,” Eldredge did just that while giving holiday classics including “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow,” “Silent Night,” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Meghan Trainor his own vocally rich, soulful interpretations.

Amy Grant, “Tennessee Christmas”

Almost 20 years have passed since Amy Grant’s last holiday album and Grant wanted to put a different spin on this Christmas collection. While the album includes beloved Christmas songs “Tennessee Christmas,” “White Christmas” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” featuring husband Vince Gill, Grant also included music for those who suffer from sadness and grief over the holidays. The singer hopes those listeners find comfort in “December,” “Another Merry Christmas” and “Melancholy Christmas.” Grant says this will be her last Christmas album.

Loretta Lynn, “White Christmas Blue”

In 1966, Loretta Lynn released her first Christmas album, “A Country Christmas.” This year, the country legend released her second.

“We had started recording Christmas stuff, so I said, ‘Hey, let’s put out an album,’” Lynn told The Tennessean.

“White Christmas Blue” includes down-home versions of holiday favorites like “Frosty the Snowman” and “Jingle Bells” as well as a new recording of Lynn’s sassy seasonal classic, “To Heck with Ole Santa Claus.” The title track, which Lynn wrote with Shawn Camp, is one of the album’s highlights. As with Lynn's other 2016 release, "Full Circle," "White Christmas Blue" was produced by daughter Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash.

Kacey Musgraves, “A Very Kacey Christmas”

“A Very Kacey Christmas” is the most delightful holiday release of 2016.

“I wanted to do it my own way and ultimately find a way to blend Western Swing, classic pop, Hawaiian (music)—all these elements that I think make Christmas music great,” Musgraves told The Tennessean.

With top-notch guest stars—Willie Nelson (on the playful “A Willie Nice Christmas”), Leon Bridges and fiddle trio the Quebe Sisters—and a track listing that includes both well-chosen covers and toe-tapping originals, this irresistible record is one worth revisiting every December.

Reba, “My Kind of Christmas”

Reba’s made Christmas records before (two of them, to be exact: 1987's “Merry Christmas to You” and 1999's “The Secret of Giving”). Unlike her previous releases, on “My Kind of Christmas,” the country powerhouse’s only accompaniment is what she describes in the liner notes as her “band of one:” piano player Catherine Marx. The result is a pleasant, unobtrusive collection of holiday standards like “Winter Wonderland,” “White Christmas” and “Silent Night.”

Oak Ridge Boys, "Celebrate Christmas"

Aside from Santa Claus, it's hard to think of anyone who loves Christmas more than the Oak Ridge Boys. The quartet has recorded multiple Christmas albums over the last 35 years, and every year, they embark on a holiday tour. On their latest release, "Celebrate Christmas," the Country Music Hall of Famers lend their rich, four-part harmonies to "Blue Christmas," "Santa Claus is Real" and the rousing "Hallelujah Chorus."

Rascal Flatts, “The Greatest Gift of All”

Rascal Flatts released popular Christmas EP "Unwrapped" several years ago, and fans of the country trio have been waiting on the full-length version ever since. The “Greatest Gift of All,” a 10-song collection produced by the trio’s bass player Jay DeMarcus and fellow members Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney, is a multi-genre take on classic Christmas songs ranging from a doo-wop version of “Deck the Halls” to an electrified, big band version of “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”  The album, rich with the three-part harmonies for which the trio is known, also includes less familiar favorites “A Strange Way to Save the World” and “Someday at Christmas.”

Jennifer Nettles, “To Celebrate Christmas”

She’s rocked around the Christmas tree for six years at the host of the “CMA Country Christmas” TV special. But for Jennifer Nettles’ first Christmas album, she’s skipping tunes like “Jingle Bells” and instead embracing the spiritual side of the season. Still, there’s a spin on these traditional songs: “Go Tell It On the Mountain” opens the album with a gritty blues chug. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” sizzles and swings with a guest vocal turn from Andra Day, while Idina Menzel helps turn “Little Drummer Boy” into an arena-ready anthem.

NewSong, “The Best Christmas Ever!”

They’re the Christian pop/rock group who brought listeners the tear-jerking ballad “The Christmas Shoes,” and there’s a “Live Anniversary Edition” included on this new disc. NewSong aims for a slightly more optimistic tone on title track “The Best Christmas Ever!” The bouncy piano-pop number about “singing carols by the fire (with) presents piling higher” is one of five new tunes on this holiday collection.

Christy Nockels, “The Thrill of Hope”

Perhaps the most original and inspired holiday album to come out of Nashville this year, gospel artist Nockels’ first Christmas album is fueled by joy and orchestral grandeur – as heard in the wondrous opener, “The King is Coming Prelude.” There’s an impressive number of original compositions here, plus inventive takes on “Silent Night” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

Chris Young, “It Must Be Christmas”

Chris Young’s most treasured Christmas memories are filled with holiday music from his heroes including Alan Jackson and Keith Whitley. With “It Must Be Christmas,” Young was able to tip his hat to the country greats by covering Jackson’s “There’s a New Kid in Town,” a song Jackson recorded with Whitley and now sings with Young. Brad Paisley joins Young for a memorable duet on “The First Noel” and Young enlisted Boyz II Men for “Silent Night.” Aside from his special guests, the Murfreesboro native showcases his classic country baritone and impressive range on holiday mainstays including “The Christmas Song” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and thoughtful originals “Under the Weather” and “It Must Be Christmas.”