Joy: A Holiday Collection may surprise some
Jewel fans, since it isn't a warm, intimate acoustic album. Then again, it may not, since it arrives on the heels of the exquisitely produced, unabashedly pop
Spirit, which had lush musical backdrops for her folk-pop tunes.
Joy is a full-bodied expansion of
Spirit, however -- an unashamed classicist Christmas album, featuring all of the usual carols delivered with strings and choirs. Because
Jewel has a big, powerful, attractive voice,
Joy works, even if it is a little too predictable for its own good -- the closing "Christmas Version" of "Hands" is the only true signal, musically at least, that this is a
Jewel number. Surely, this holiday album isn't a major addition to her catalog, but for hardcore fans, it may be a nice stocking stuffer. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine