Sweet and low.

I'm simmering in Christmas music. With the tree lit and most of the house lights out, I might as well be in heaven. A dim, warm, pine-scented corner of heaven.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, I want to plug one of my favorite Christmas CDs. It's by a band called Low that I discovered three years back. Their slow, quiet sound and beautiful harmonies were a conscious reaction to the grunge movement, and while they're not for everyone (especially if your blood pressure runs dangerously low), they have recorded a lovely, deeply felt Christmas album. I love my big Christmas choral extravaganzas and my Messiah recordings and my angelic boy sopranos and even the occasional funkadelic "Rudolph," but this one has its own niche. Low is technically a pop group, but they choose mostly religious music for Christmas and even write three new Christ-themed songs, the prettiest one being "Long Way Around the Sea," about the magi making their way home after visiting Jesus. Their version of "Little Drummer Boy" was featured in a Gap ad a few Christmases ago, but that track's not the best this little beauty has to offer. It's got everything -- presents, trees, snow, but most of all, non-kitschy Christian pop music. Talk about a Christmas miracle!

You can buy it on Amazon or for $10 (including postage) at their website. And if you don't think you can afford it, think of it as giving to charity. The band is using some of their Christmas proceeds to build a school in Kenya.