Various Artists

Bethlehem Skyline Vol. 2
Centricity Music

It’s hard to wrap Christmas carols with the ribbons of other genres. Not only do the various Centricity Music artists who make up this collection have to stay true to the originals they cover, they also have to make those covers sound like original covers.

And it’s even harder to open a listener’s ears to a Christmas collection that kicks off with a pop-rock original when folks are expecting a classic.

The Centricity Music artists on “Bethlehem Skyline Vol. 2,” however, make it look easy. The compilation returns only one artist — Coldplay-ish alterna-rockers Downhere (who turn in a great “Silent Night”) — from Centricity’s 2007 installment, but is even better.

Featuring Andrew Peterson, Me in Motion (who nail a pop-punk version of Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”), Jason Gray, High Valley, Matt Papa, Lanae’ Hale and Sixteen Cities, it should stand out in the annual flood of Christmas albums.