Although the production might be too slick for some tastes, Christmas Is Coming Home is a perfectly enjoyable set of classic carols and newly written Christmas pop songs. There are no surprises on the album -- Thomas is in strong voice, and the synth-laden, laidback MOR pop has been a hallmark of his CCM records for years -- but it delivers exactly what fans want: a relaxed, clean-sounding, professional collection of holiday music that functions nicely as background music for Christmas parties.

The title notwithstanding, this debut from the former Faithless singer is pretty angelic-sounding stuff. You're bound to think of Sin�ad O'Connor, but the comparison is as misleading as it is inevitable. Granted, Dido's ethereal vocals here frequently recall O'Connor; but Dido's...