wallpaper HD: Album Review: "Colbie Caillat: Christmas In The Sand" (2012)

Colbie Caillat is one of the last persons you'd think of at the mention of "Christmas album." Her sunny, singer-songwriter style just would seem out of place on a holiday music collection wouldn't it? Well, that's what I thought and clearly I was proved wrong. The "Bubbly" California girl has tasted a fairly high level of success and this year she releases her full-length Christmas album "Christmas In The Sand." While that sounds like an unconventional title for a Christmas album, let's just say that the entire album is surprisingly refreshing. Colbie's laid-back, summery style makes for an exceptionally good collection of tunes for the season.

Let's just get down to business and look at each song on the album:

1. Merry Christmas Baby (featuring Brad Paisley): I was sold on the title itself. And the fact that it has none other than Brad Paisley on the track...just...wow. It's an awesome album opener, you can practically feel Colbie and Brad's collective laid-back, chilled-out attitude. It's plain fun and a winner.

2. Santa Baby: Thank you Colbie, for doing things a little different. Of all the Christmas albums I've listened to this year, not one has featured this song. Colbie makes it her own, giving it enough swag and imbuing it with enough personality. You truly appreciate her voice on this.

3. Christmas In The Sand: One of the most brilliant original Christmas songs I've ever heard! True to her summery style, Colbie delivers a highly enjoyable song that you will enjoy in the snow, sand, or even the rain. Silly and fun, this will definitely become a holiday staple for your home.

4. Baby It's Cold Outside (featuring Gavin DeGraw): Perfect choice for the album. You can literally feel the chemistry between Gavin DeGraw and Colbie on this one. Works on every level. Smooth and easy, this could well become one of your favorite versions of this classic song.

5. The Christmas Song (featuring Justin Young): It's not a Christmas album without this song, is it? Nothing new in terms of arrangement or presentation, but nonetheless, nothing wrong with it either. I've never heard this song performed as a duet either, so it was a good listen.

6. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town: Starts off well and predictable, but Colbie infuses it with enough spunk and cheer to make for a worthwhile listen. It was unique enough to hold my attention. A good job overall.

7. Every Day is Christmas (featuring Jason Reeves): Colbie really went all out on the originals and duets on this album didn't she? Hers she teams up with her good friend Jason Reeves (co-writer of her hits "Bubbly", "I Never Told You" and "Realize") along with master songwriter Kara DioGuardi (also known for judging American Idol during seasons 8 and 9). On every level, this song is a winner. It matches the perennial theme of the album, Colbie's style, and makes for another great Holiday song. One of my favorites on this album.

8. Silver Bells: I loved how Colbie put her own twist on the song by singing not just "It's Christmas time in the city", but also "the country" and even Hawaii. It shows that this album isn't just a run-of-the-mill recording and that Colbie genuinely put love and care into it. She makes sure not to lose the "In The Sand" theme, and that speaks volumes of her artistry.

9. Winter Wonderland: Wonderfully enthused with techno beats and liberal helpings of sleigh bells, this is a fun version of the oft overdone song. I found it surprising that Colbie decided to use both the "Parson Brown" and "Circus Clown" verses in this rendition. She really succeeds in making the song a wonderland.

10. Mistletoe: Yet another original, and it's great.Once again, perfectly matches Colbie's summery style and the album's theme. I found it to be the slightest of the four original songs, but still it's a good song. Just not too memorable compared to the others.

11 Happy Christmas: The last original song here, and my personal favorite. Perfectly encompasses the true meaning of Christmas. The songwriting isn't elaborate and doesn't have bells or whistles, but the message is clear- giving is priceless. Hats off to Colbie and Toby Gad for a new addition to my Christmas favorites list.

12. Auld Lang Syne: I'm surprised that of all the Christmas albums I listened to this year, Colbie's was the only one to feature this song. She does a good job, slowing it down and putting her stamp on it. I have to mention, of all the Christmas albums I listened to and reviewed this year, this was the only one to have the artist say, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"

I was blown away by the sheer quality of the album. It's clear that unlike most Holiday albums, "Christmas In The Sand" has had a lot of work put into it. The number of original songs (four) is the highest I've heard so far this year. Add in the number of guest artists, Jason Reeves, Justin Young, Gavin DeGraw and Brad Paisley, no less, and you have a stellar collection of tunes for the season.

On almost every song, Colbie puts her own mark. Her unique singer-songwriter style, combined with her versatile voice fill the album with personality. You really fall in love with Colbie by the end of the album. I'll be honest, I had little to no expectations about this album and now I can truthfully say, it is indeed the best Christmas album of the year. Hands down.It's exactly what a contemporary Christmas album should sound like.

If you love Christmas music, get this. It's a no-brainer if you're a Colbie Caillat fan, but if you love mainstream music of any kind, you need to get this. I'm proud to give this a perfect score because I found absolutely nothing wrong with it and it's an amazing new addition to my Holiday collection.

RATING: ★★★★★

More Christmas album reviews: * Blake Shelton: Cheers, It's Christmas
* Christmas With Scotty McCreery
* Lady Antebellum: On This Winter's Night