merry christmas, merry christmas to you, Wrabel (Big Gay Records)

This singer-songwriter, first name Stephen, has been much in the background over his career, writing for Pink, Kesha, and Backstreet Boys, but has been breaking through as a solo artist. For 2021 he dropped this five-song EP of holiday songs, four originals and a remarkable cover of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" that you should definitely seek out. Originals include his very own "This Christmas," not Wham's, "(It Wouldn't Be) Christmas Without You," the ukulele ballad "First Winter," and "Sometimes Christmas Is Hard," all solid pop/rock songwriting with modern hit radio production. It may be a little too hit radio-friendly for some of you, but "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is worth the whole thing.