She may be the daughter of a reverend, but Tori Amos never seemed the likeliest candidate for a Christmas album; she might sing about “God”, but her music always seemed secular and never seasonal, but in a year that brought holiday albums by Bob Dylan and Sting, it makes perfect sense that Tori should deliver one, too. Amos’ entry, Midwinter Graces, may be as unlikely as Dylan’s, but it’s closer in tenor to Sting’s: it captures the wintriness of the season. Tori reworks many familiar carols, tweaking lyrics and pushing them together into a medley, so they sound quite similar to the newly written tunes that comprise the rest of the record. Thanks to some familiar melodies, it can sometimes seem seasonally appropriate, but it always seems purely Tori. [A deluxe edition, CD/DVD combination package was also released.] Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

1. What Child, Nowell [3:46]
2. Star of Wonder [3:51]
3. Silent Night with You [3:23]
4. Candle: Coventry Carol [3:18]
5. Holly, Ivy, and Rose [4:44]
6. Harps of Gold [3:10]
7. Snow Angel [3:44]
8. Jeanette, Isabella [4:28]
9. Pink and Glitter [4:57]
10. Emmanuel [3:00]
11. Winter’s Carol (From the Light Princess) [5:22]
12. Our New Year [4:21]
13. Comfort and Joy [3:59]
14. Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht [Silent Night, Holy Night] [3:39]

Disk 2

1. Exclusive Interview Content [Dvd]