Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

In today’s world of music, a band that has been around for more than ten years is pretty impressive. And that’s exactly what this band from Texas has done. Lonestar has gone from originally being known as an only up-tempo group to being one of the better all-around country artists out there. They rank right up there with big names like Rascal Flatts and even Montgomery Gentry.

That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to review Lonestar's newly released holiday album, My Christmas List. While I think it's pretty safe to say that I have never been one for Christmas music, this is a decent listen. I’ll admit that it helped pass about 45 minutes of some tough homework for me. That being said, this is pretty much what you would expect in a Christmas album: perfect background music. I can envision My Christmas List becoming a staple over the next few weeks as families putting up their tree or bake Christmas cookies. It’s just that good.

Vocally, Cody Collins is solid throughout, with the rendition of Silent Night being especially great. While I couldn't resist a smirk at the very cheesy opening to Up on a Housetop, I really enjoyed the one original song on the disc, the title track, My Christmas List.  I could see this one becoming a classic. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: My Christmas List is available exclusively at Cracker Barrel outlets nationwide.