Hall & Oates’ version of “Jingle Bell Rock” has been a holiday season staple on radio and MTV for over 20 years. This year, the duo’s providing ten more ways to spread seasonal cheer with their first-ever Christmas album. Home For Christmas features 11 brand new recordings – 9 traditionals/covers (including a relatively faithful re-record of “Jingle Bell Rock”) and 2 originals.

You really have to wonder why it’s taken so long for Hall & Oates to make this happen. It seems like Home for Christmas could have been released in 1986, instead of 2006. In their heyday, their mix of soft rock, blue-eyed soul and pop perfection with a tasty touch of cheese was perfectly suited for Christmas classics. Perhaps the recent show of support from bands like The Killers, Death Cab For Cutie and Band of Horses (all of them spoke highly of H&O in a Spin magazine story a few months ago) motivated them to get back in the game.

So is Home For Christmas worth your time? If you skip the first three tracks, I say yes (although it should be noted that I have a huge soft spot for Yuletide tunes). The first two tracks (“The First Noel” and “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”) are too wussy and lack Hall & Oates’ personal stamp. Track 3 is an original (“No Child Should Ever Cry on Christmas”) that I’m guessing and hoping won’t become part of the holiday season rotation. From track 4 on, though, Home For Christmas hits its stride with some obscure covers (“Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday” and “Christmas Must Be Tonight”), a worthy original (the title track), some tastefully revived standards (“The Christmas Song,” “Oh Holy Night” and the aforementioned “Jingle Bell Rock”) and best of all, their versions of gospel faves “Children Go Where I Send Thee” and “Mary Had A Baby.”

If you like Hall & Oates (and who doesn’t love “Maneater,” “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” “You Make My Dreams” and many more) and you’re in the mood for some holiday cheer, why not pick up Home For Christmas?