Chicago Christmas, Chicago (Rhino)

I almost forgot this came out, and probably I blanked on it because this 2019 release is the classic rock-era band's fourth Christmas album. (Or maybe not, see link.) One might wonder just how much the band has to offer on the subject to justify this many albums, but give 'em credit; three brand-new originals written for the album appear here, the 70s-soulful "All Over the World," the similarly performed "(Because) It's Christmastime," and the funky "I'm Your Santa Claus." Sharp-eared listeners will immediately peg this as Chicago music. There's also the uptempo original "Bring My Baby Back," the almost slow-jam-sounding "I'd Do It All Again (Christmas Moon)," and two versions of another original, "Merry Christmas, I Love You," rendered as an uptempo soul number and as a straight ballad. "All Is Right" is another party tune, "Sleigh Ride 2019" is Chicago's second version of the classic carol, "Here We Come a-Caroling" gets a merengue treatment, and they add the non-holiday "What the World Needs Now Is Love," the Bacharach-David classic that the album's press release states "had a timely message for the holidays." I'll give them that one. All told, this probably belongs on the yacht-rock side of the music ledger, but it's not hard to listen to -- unless your brother-in-law just made you sit through the other Chicago Christmas albums, anyway.