With physical sales of CDs dropping drastically, retails outlets for music now almost nonexistent, its music downloads from iTunes that is the order of the day. Days of playing LPs, cassettes and now CDs is gone. The only major company releasing new Christmas music this year is Sony music and Universal Music, now on CD and on digital download. Here are a few that are available on CD.

1) Wrapped in Red – Kelly Clarkson (Sony Music) Rs. 399/-

This is the termed as the biggest album this season which debuted at #3 on the Top 100 Charts.  Clarkson, first of all is the only title holder of the first ever American Idol to have released a Christmas album. That should be some achievement we must say, though her pop career is also doing pretty well, her Christmas album has a bunch of traditional tracks and a few original compositions as well. The title track Wrapped in Red is a heartwarming piece and is a definite replay. Her take on the traditional Silent Night is just the way it should be, though she is accompanied by guest’s vocalists Trisha Yearwood and Reba McIntyre. The other highlights would definitely be Underneath the tree, the pulsating Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas with its fab climax, and Run Run Rudolph a pretty different take on the usual standard we have come to hear always. Lastly don’t miss her version of Blue Christmas which is really cool and easy on the ears and Baby, It's Cold Outside featuring Ronnie Dunn.

A good mix of the solemn and the fun loving tracks all rolled into one neat album.

2) A Family Christmas - The Piano Guys (Sony Music) Rs. 399/-

For those who came in late, The Piano Guys are the new YouTube sensation who are making waves with their piano music. They gained popularity through YouTube, where they posted piano and cello renditions of popular songs and classical music. The Piano Guys' video take on One Direction's hit What Makes you Beautiful took YouTube by storm when it was posted in July 2012. It featured all five Piano Guys playing the same piano at the same time. Thanks to its ingeniously intricate concept, the video helped sky rocket The Piano Guys to stardom and has received over 25 million views to date. To date they have covered artists such as Swedish House Mafia, Adele, Coldplay, David Guetta and lots of other artists with their classical and orchestral pop sounds. Their videos are something to look out for and marvel at. They are geniuses in their own right and are a great example of creativity. If you put on one of their videos, you just can't stop watching them, for they are so awesome. And if you thought they only covered the popular pop and rock songs, well the five guys have recorded a Christmas album which features some of the Christmas season’s all-time classics as well as two original songs. Since their debut effort in 2011, they have recorded three albums to date and A Family Christmas is their fourth.

The album offers up 12 holiday standards, including Angels We Have Heard on High, Carol of the Bells/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and Silent Night, Good King Wenceslas, We Three Kings, Away in a Manger each of which (in typical Piano Guys fashion). They also take a unique twist on other Christmas classics such as Let It Snow, Winter Wonderland. The album is filled with the diverse classical, traditional pop, rock, jazz and film score components that have typified the The Piano Guys twist. The Piano Guys spent a lot of time crafting the album so that there's something for everybody, and an opportunity to jam and dance around the house, or just sit back with somebody you love. It would’ve been a boon to also have a festive DVD containing all of their music videos, pop cuts and the Christmas videos accompanying this 12 track album CD.

3) Home for Christmas - Susan Boyle (Sony Music) Rs. 399/-

Thanks to the latest digital innovations, Grammy nominated vocalist Susan Boyle collaborates with the late Elvis Presley and Johnny Mathis on her new Christmas album. Those who have followed the operatic vocal style of Boyle would recall that on her debut album she had included a cover of Silent Night, and now years later, she comes back with her first Christmas album entirely comprising of holiday covers. Boyle has played it safe and has stuck to performing the classic renditions of Christmas carols such as I'll be Home for Christmas, The Christmas Song. She has not tried improvising or changing the tempo of the songs and rather it’s her voice that we would like to cherish. She also has The Little Drummer Boy backed by the Overtones, a perfect well pitched piece. However the album includes two new duets, a virtual duet with the late Elvis Presley on O Come, All Ye Faithful, which has the two talented vocalists giving off their best lines for Christmas. The song is also backed by a choir during the chorus. The other duet is with Johnny Mathis on a re-recording of his 1976 hit cover of When a Child Is Born.

You won’t find anything exceptional on this album, songs of which have been done countless times before, yet it is still a worthwhile listen for the selling point is her strong execution of these songs that helps in the making them sound that much better. 12 holiday favorites that should give you a vintage sound of Christmas.

4) Merry Christmas, Baby – Rod Stewart (Universal Music) Rs. 295/-

If youlook at the discography of this British singer – songwriter you will find that this is his 28th studio album. The singer who gave us Some Guys have all the luck, Downtown Train, and other such toppers, brings on his first ever Christmas album. If you know how Rod Stewart sounds, and are aware of these songs’ traditional arrangements, then you already know what Merry Christmas, Baby has in store.

Featuring tracks like Santa Claus is coming to town, Blue Christmas and White Christmas; Rod Stewart uses his famous husky tones to interpret these classic Christmas tunes. With age, Stewart’s voice has that crackling feel, similar to fireside cracking sounds, and though he brings in a few guests artists on the album, we find that even without them, he fares well.

The David Foster produced this album, sounds great. That said, many of the arrangements which are beautiful, are a wee bit mellow. Where the album really shines is the more upbeat tracks, such as the title track Merry Christmas, Baby with Cee-Lo Green and Red-Suited Super Man, a must hear. These two songs allow Rod to let loose and show off his soulful side. The 68 year old goes a bit weak with Winter Wonderland even though Michael Buble' pays a hand on it. Don’t also miss out on the slow and steady pace of We Three Kings a duet with the soulful R & B biggie Mary J. Blige. But the highlight of all this would surely be his virtual duet with Ella Fitzgerald on What are you doing New Year’s Eve? Don’t also miss out on Silent Night that has a beautiful children's choir to liven things up and the album’s last track Auld Lang Syne that has impressive bagpipes.

Even though he has taken decades to release a Christmas album, this offering is worth the wait. Tune in.

5) Sending you a Little Christmas –Johnny Mathis (Sony Music) Rs. 399/-

If you want some old fashioned traditional Christmas carols this is the album you should look for. While the list for all time Christmas classics by legends may seem endless, Johnny Mathis’ seven Christmas albums to date still remains as one of the best of all from Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, and not forgetting Jim Reeves. Here is his eighth offering and by the sound of it, the 78 year old is still making his voice felt with the younger generation.

Take a trip down memory lane as you revisit old classics with Mathis. It’s his distinctive voice that commands a lot of respect when he is singing with the younger generation on the album.

The album has 12 songs and among them a few solos and a few duets. Highlights of the duets include a melancholy medley of I’ll Be Home for Christmas and White Christmas featuring Vince Gill and Amy Grant, a fine version of Do You Hear What I Hear with Susan Boyle, and a bright, country-flavored Home for the Holidays with The Jordanaires.

While he should’ve recorded the title track himself as a solo effort, Mathis takes the help of pianist Jim Brickman. Other favorites that could be on your list would be The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) with Billy Joel, and the slow paced Mary’s Boy Child once again a duet this time with Latino singer Gloria Estefan. Lastly Merry Christmas, Darling is reminiscent of The Carpenters version.

The musical arrangements are classy, pleasing to the ear and the choice of songs gives a variety of Christmas classics a modern touch. This is an album for the young and old alike, anyone who enjoys holiday music.

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira