The Infamous Stringdusters - Dust The Halls: An Acoustic Christmas Holiday! [Gold]

Bluegrass pickers and Christmas carols turn out to be a natural match, and The Infamous Stringdusters prove it on Dust the Halls, here on gold vinyl.

The Nashville five-piece, who won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album with Laws of Gravity, released this holiday set in 2020 on the Americana Vibes label. Dobro, banjo, fiddle, guitar and upright bass make up a lineup built for nimble, conversational playing, and these players treat a carol the way a jazz combo treats a standard. Each member is a formidable soloist, and the arrangements pass the melody around the circle so everyone gets a turn in the spotlight.

'Little Drummer Boy' and 'Deck the Halls', both released as singles, show how far a familiar melody can stretch once five improvisers get hold of it. 'We Three Kings' leans into its minor-key mystery, and 'Oh Holy Night' slows the pace for something warmer and more reverent. The picking is fast and clean, and the whole thing feels like a session around the fireplace.

It's a Christmas record that rewards close listening as much as background cheer, which is rare. Ten holiday tunes, a band at the top of its game and a gold pressing that looks the part on any holiday shelf.