Artist: Mindy Smith
Album Title: My Holiday
Genre/Style: Roots
Release Year: 2007
This is the album I wanted from Shelby Lynne. Mindy Smith is a student of Dolly Parton and Alison Krauss, and earns high marks for this really impressive collection of mostly original compositions. Smith has a smooth and airy voice, reminiscent of Norah Jones and Leona Naess, which makes the light touch the producer has taken with the arrangements that much more important. There are a couple of rocked up numbers, but the bulk of this album is gentle and acoustic.
Not everything works for me. “I Know the Reason” and “Come Around”, while performed well, are a little too on the preachy side for my tastes. And I think “Away in a Manger” is a song for children to sing. But the rest of the album is fantastic, especially “Santa Will Find You”, co-written by Smith and Chely Wright. There’s a good mix of up and down tempo songs here, and with so many (good) new songs, it’s a great respite from the overplayed stuff.
Rating: 
Are you paying attention, James Taylor?
