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I lay in bed late at night, headphones plugged in. James Taylor’s newest album sings me to sleep.

This collection is one of those magical creations that seems like it belongs on vinyl. I was listening to a perfect digital reproduction of the music, but it seemed like I had slipped the disc itself into a player, as if the medium itself was the source of the special warmth that bathes this album.

It’s one of those discs that at first doesn’t do too much for you, and gets better with every listen. After listening to the soothing album track after track in bed, I realize that it’s one of the best sounding albums in my collection. No review of this one fails to mention that it took five years to produce, and although I’m sure it only took a few months to record, it sounds like he spent all five years perfecting every track. The little touches count - the puppy dog breathing at the end of Mean Old Man, and the trilling guitar introduction to Caroline I See You. The sound is round, mature, and complete.

My favorite track is September Grass, and it’s no wonder that it’s first. But every song on this album carries its weight. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a wonderfully appropriate closer, soars and swoons entirely on James’ voice. I could say a lot about each song on this album, but maybe you should just sit down, plug in the monitors, turn it up, and close your eyes. Although at first a few songs turned me off, I see now after a few months that the choice and production of these songs was a perfect calculation. It must be an incredible feeling to have created something beautiful like that, and know how good it is, and to wait for the people listening to slowly realize it too. #