and her spouse both have a knack for writing simple, emotionally straightforward tunes, and they know how to make them work in the studio with plenty of heart and soul and a low level of extraneous fluff. So it's good to see them release a collaborative album at last, even if it's a modest -themed effort, and finds the couple in fine form together. Dominated by covers ( contributes the album's sole original, which sounds like a more concise and less snarky variation on 's ), moves back and forth between seasonal ( sounds sexy indeed on and she and are both playful and sensuous on ), somber but celebratory numbers such as and (delivered respectively by with feeling and dignity), and twangy Yuletide tunes, such as ' and the tongue-in-cheek While the production and arrangements are elegant and concise, this hardly sounds like a tossed-together quickie, with the headliners and their backing musicians presenting these songs with care and affection, and if this isn't the twang-tastic disc some might have expected, it delivers equal portions of taste, passion and great music, and anyone with an ear for either or will want to have this on hand for their tree-trimming party. ~ Mark Deming