Dylan becomes a Christmas crooner

Bob Dylan: scrawny lyrical troubadour, acid-tinged cosmos prophet, rural recluse, born-again God-fearer, tireless ringmaster behind the Never Ending Tour carnival – and Christmas crooner?

Feel free to raise a wary eyebrow at Dylan’s latest incarnation of himself, but please don’t do so without actually sitting down to listen to his newest release, “Christmas in the Heart,” because he absolutely knocks it out of the park.

By juxtaposing his road-weary, I’ve-been-to-hell-and-back rasp with 1940s-sounding backing choirs/orchestras, Old Bobby delivers what is easily the most uniquely refreshing holiday album in recent memory. A far cry from the usual “I’m desperate for money, buy my Christmas album” releases by “older” artists, Dylan clearly threw this curve ball at his fans to keep them on their toes.

Although one’s initial reaction upon listening to the album might be to chuckle at the extremely odd combination of Dylan’s legendary growl and a  Bing Crosby-esque wispy string ensembles, a full listen will leave you both sonically satisfied and hopelessly nostalgic for days-gone-by in a way only Dylan can manage.