OCMS Xmas [Limited Frosting]

For more than a quarter century, Old Crow Medicine Show's albums have built a bridge between past and present, updating the sounds of pre-war folk, country, old-time, and bluegrass for the 21st century. OCMS XMAS continues that custom. There's plenty of tradition here: a cover of "Holly Jolly Christmas," featuring horns from the Tennessee State University ensemble Brassville; a rowdy version of the Appalachian standard "Breakin' Up Xmas," recorded live in the band's East Nashville headquarters; and a timely take on John Lennon and Yoko Ono's global peace anthem "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," stacked with church harmonies. Balancing out that reverence for the past, though, are songs that boldly live in the present, from barn-burners like "December 26" (which marks the songwriting debut of longtime band member Morgan Jahnig) to "North By Northeast," a tribute to New England winters. That fusion of old and new has always played a crucial role in the band's longevity. More than 20 years after the release of "Wagon Wheel" — one of the best-selling country singles of all time, combining a forgotten chorus by Bob Dylan with original verses from Ketch Secor — OCMS XMAS uphold's Old Crow's combination of the timely with the timelessness.

"Some of our favorite country artists are those in the Grand Ole Opry," says Secor, who was inducted into the Opry alongside his bandmates in 2013. "The kind of country music that came out of Nashville during the '60s, '70s, and '80s is so different than what you hear today, and we've learned a lot from the elder statesmen of our genre. Many of those cats released Christmas albums and went out on Christmas tours every year, so there's a real legacy there. We get to be part of that with this project."

A real legacy, indeed. Old Crow have thrived for more than a quarter century. Like many of their heroes, they've become torchbearers of classic folk music, reshaping those sounds for the modern world. They're creators, not replicators, and OCMS XMAS finds them tackling another tradition — the time-honored Christmas album — with humor, hillbilly twang, and novel ideas. Supported by the band's first-ever "Holiday Hootenanny" tour, OCMS XMAS just might be the start of a new tradition itself: a celebration of the seasonal sounds, shared joy, and holiday rituals that bring us all together. Christmas just got a new soundtrack.