Not that I was waiting for the calendar to officially turn to December, but it was only yesterday that I finally gave Tracey Thorn‘s new seasonal offering, Tinsel And Lights, a spin. (A Spotify stream, actually, as when I unwrapped the CD I’d purchased, a small piece of the plastic attached itself to the disc as I inserted it into my Macbook Pro’s slot, rendering the player unusable. Merry Christmas!)

While Thorn penned a pair of originals for Tinsel And Lights (the title track and “Joy”), the album’s other ten tracks are covers. Among the many highlights is Thorn’s recording of “Hard Candy Christmas,” written by Carol Hall for the musical, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, and recorded by Dolly Parton for the 1982 film version in which she starred.

Like many of the songs on Tinsel And Lights, “Hard Candy Christmas” isn’t really about the holiday at all (the Christmas reference is a simile), nor is it particularly cheery — “I’m barely getting through tomorrow.” But this time of year wouldn’t be the same without hearing “Hard Candy Christmas,” and Thorn’s wintry voice wraps around this Dolly classic quite well.

Besides marking my first play of Thorn’s album, yesterday also brought the debut of the Tinsel And Lights Advent Calendar, featuring pics, links, and exclusive goodies. Today’s offering is Thorn’s recipe for a chocolate yule log.

Purchase Tracey Thorn – “Hard Candy Christmas” (Dolly Parton cover) via iTunes, Amazon MP3 (where Tinsel And Lights is just $5.99).