Richard Marx - Christmas Spirit (2012)

Richard Marx's Christmas Spirit comes with all the trappings of the season, a new album that sounds instantly familiar. This is true of "Christmas Spirit," an original that cleverly plays with the spirit of Phil Spector's classic Christmas album, and it is true for the album as a whole. The title song winds up as the liveliest thing here, as Marx spends his time singing standards well suited for a night snuggling by the fireplace. Christmas Spirit doesn't sound crisp and clean, like a new snowfall. It's a record for quiet, snowy nights, the kind meant for intimate gatherings of loved ones and, in that regard, it's quite charming.