Francesca Battistelli "This Christmas"

 In 2012, Francesca Battistelli released a thoughtful, festive and fun Christmas record. This Christmas record is another collection that balances old and new and brings classic elements from timeless renditions of Ella Fitzgerald's "Sleigh Ride" and Bing Crosby's "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" (which coincidentally is a duet with Ella Fitzgerald) into the modern age with Batistelli's versions. While I did not find songs like "Christmas Is" and "Heaven Everywhere," it includes songs like "Behold Him" and "Messiah" (which are engaging songs that are more faith based). "Snowy Day" is that gradual accumulation of appreciation. While "Carolin" is better with loved ones and out of the cold, it is also a reminder that there is still fun to be had on this record, and to bring that home, we are taken through a remastered version of her snappy and electrifying "Marshmallow World."