Mindy Smith - My Holiday (2007)

Recorded in Nashville and produced by Mindy Smith and Steve Buckingham, My Holiday is an 11 song collection that features six original tunes written and co-written by Mindy including Come Around , Santa Will Find You , Follow The Shepherd Home and the title track. My Holiday also features such classic Christmas recordings as Away In A Manger with Alison Krauss on harmony vocals, The Christmas Song , Silver Bells and I ll Be Home For Christmas

The young country chanteuse offers a homespun holiday on a collection that mixes acoustic intimacy with supper-club sophistication. Though the title track isn't likely to rank with the standards, other originals, such as "Santa Will Find You" and the testament of faith, "Follow the Shepherd Home," rank with Smith's best. Acoustic guitar gives way to jazzier arrangements as she addresses standards, such as "The Christmas Song" and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve," while steel guitar highlights "Silver Bells." "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has more of a rock rhythm than usual, and the closing "Come Around" sounds Beatlesque in its guitar and harmonies. "Away in a Manger" benefits from Smith's vocal blend with Alison Krauss, with Thad Cockrell contributing a duet vocal on "I Know the Reason." Like chestnuts roasting on an open fire, there's a breathy warmth to Smith's vocals throughout. --Don McLeese