Holiday Songs and Lullabies

Released in 1998 following the massive success of 'A Few Small Repairs', 'Holiday Songs and Lullabies' represents a sharp pivot for Shawn Colvin. Eschewing the radio-ready pop-rock production of her Grammy-winning work, she returned to the stark, intimate folk roots of her debut. The album is a thematic hybrid, blending traditional Christmas carols with Victorian-era poems and lullabies, many of which were adapted from the book 'Lullabies and Night Songs' illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Produced by Colvin herself along with Steuart Smith, the record emphasizes her unique rhythmic guitar style - a percussive, driving fingerstyle that provides the only momentum for these otherwise ethereal tracks. It stands as one of the most understated holiday releases of its era, praised for its lack of sentimentality and its focus on the 'lullaby' aspect of the season's music.