Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Joan Osborne captures the essence of the holidays on Christmas Means Love with her versatile voice that easily goes from delicate and evocative to jazzy and glorious. Following in the tradition of Breakfast in Bed (Osborne’s May 2007 album of soul covers and original R&B-styled songs), here Osborne sings her heart out on 11 holiday songs backed by a rootsy blues band and, at times, a choir. This intimate seasonal album is a perfect balance of the secular (Santa Claus Baby) and the sacred (Away in the Manger), both sassy (What Do Bad Girls Get?) and somber (Angels We Have Heard On High). In all, Osborne’s Christmas Means Love is a wonderfully earthy approach to heavenly holiday music.