Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong

Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong turns the holiday season inward, swapping jingle-bell cheer for something hushed and reflective that glows softly long after the decorations come down.

Released in 2006, her first full-length holiday album mixes traditional carols with songs that capture the quieter, more melancholy side of winter, the stretch of the year when nights are long. Alongside classics by Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and John Lennon, McLachlan added a new original title song, a tender reflection on longing and memory set against the season.

Her take on Joni Mitchell's "River" is a highlight, her crystalline voice tracing every ounce of the song's ache. "Song for a Winter's Night", the Gordon Lightfoot favorite, fits her like a glove, while "Christmas Time Is Here" brings in Diana Krall for a warm, jazzy turn. John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is lifted by children's and youth choirs from her own music outreach program, adding an earnest note of hope.

The carols are delivered with understated grace, each arrangement leaving plenty of room for that voice to shine, never cluttered or overdone.

For fans of quiet, fireside holiday listening, this LP makes a cherished seasonal ritual, the kind you reach for as soon as the nights draw in.