Scotty's Christmas Country (Music Review: Christmas With Scotty McCreery, Scotty McCreery)

The only thing I know about Scotty (that nickname makes me cringe, I don't know why)  McCreery is that he was (and won?) American Idol, and I didn't even watch his season, and have never really heard him sing. I do know that his music is country, a genre I am not really a big fan of, though, for the record, I don't dislike it. And "Christmas With Scotty McCreery" is definitely a Christmas Country album. No sweat. To me, the album sounds authentically country - arranged to showcase guitars, a rhythm section, pedal steels. It's pleasant, for sure, but... generic, if a bit bland. He possesses a clean baritone that sounds to me quite common, and the arrangements, while competent, do not show a lot of originality. But his fans probably aren't looking for that, and they will most likely eat this up. I read somewhere that he was inspired by the Rat Pack while doing this album, but I don't see it. There's an almost offensive religious song in here that's called "Christmas In Heaven" that's a little too treacly, but otherwise it's standard fare. I can imagine hearing this while at Wal-Mart.