Courtesy Cracker Barrel Old Country StoreAs Labor Day weekend brings the unofficial end of summer, Reba is ready to fast-forward to the holidays, as her new album, My Kind of Christmas, comes out today exclusively at Cracker Barrel.

“It’s stripped down,” the Country Music Hall of Famer says. “It’s just me and a piano. My piano player Catherine Marx and I did this a few years ago and had it ready…There’s nothing better than eating a good old buttermilk biscuit with some sawmill gravy listening to Christmas music!” she jokes.

Though this is Reba’s third yuletide set, she says the new collection bears little similarity to 1987’s Merry Christmas to You or 1999’s The Secret of Giving.

“The first album I did was very country and the second was more orchestration and this is just paired-down with just me and a piano… I added some [songs] that I hadn’t recorded before, like ‘Hard Candy Christmas,’ the Dolly Parton song.”

The Cracker Barrel exclusive does have at least one thing in common with Reba’s first record — it’s available as a 33 1/3 album.

“I like the vinyl! It’s just got that sound that is totally different from anything else. And you get really involved when you’re listening to vinyl, because you take it out, place it on the turntable, put the needle over and then while you’re listening you can look at — and actually read! — all the liner notes and everything. That’s what we used to do when we were kids. We’d find out who’s playing on it, who wrote it…So, I love the vinyl! I’m so glad it’s coming back. It’s very, very popular now!” 

My Kind of Christmas is part of the Rockin’ R by Reba line, available both online and at Cracker Barrel locations.

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