Robin & Linda Williams - The First Christmas Gift (2005)

Country folk veterans Robin & Linda Williams have been making beautiful (quality) music together since the early '70s, so it comes as no surprise that their first collection of holiday music shuns the usual standards for an assortment of originals, covers, and traditional pieces that warrant more than a casual listen. Linda provides the sparse "Shotgun Shells on a Christmas Tree," a truly Southern take on the more marketable snow globe traditions of a wealthy suburban Christmas, Robin's earthy title track puts an old timey spin on the three wise men legend, while the two harmonize beautifully on the rousing closer, "Rise Up Shepherds and Follow." Forget Mannheim Steamroller, First Christmas Gift captures the spirit of the season with an earnestness that's as simple as the morning snow.