Holly Happy Days, Indigo Girls (Vanguard)

I was concerned about Shelby Lynne's Christmas album being too country, and then I put on this 2010 release and the very first cut, "I Feel the Christmas Spirit," is full-on bluegrass/gospel. I suppose I expected this to be a bit more boisterous and pop-rock-ish, in the style of this duo's earliest albums, but they've chosen to take the more reverent approach to the holiday, and given the input of folks like Alison Brown and Lloyd Maines, a more country approach. The song selection, at least, is outside the usual mode, starting with Emily Saliers' original "Your Holiday Song," which has more of that Indigo Girls flavor as well as strong bass work from Victor Krauss; Amy Ray's "Mistletoe," a ballad, and "The Wonder Song," a more bluegrass outing; Chely Wright's "It Really Is (A Wonderful Life)"; Beth Nielsen Chapman and Melissa Manchester's "There's Still My Joy"; traditional tunes "Angels We Have Heard On High," "Peace Child" and "In the Bleak Midwinter," and Hanukkah alert, Woody Guthrie's "Happy Joyous Hanukkah." I imagine the band's fans will eat this up, and it's certainly a well-made disc, but not one that would get this site's rock 'n roll seal of approval. Oh, and the rubber-cemented ribbon around the physical disc package is going to fall off and get lost if you play this more than once.