Joe Nichols stays true to Roger Miller's original on his cover of 'Old Toy Trains.' The song -- just released as a free download on iTunes -- is a bonus track on the digital reissue of Nichols' 2004 Christmas album 'A Traditional Christmas.'

"Close your eyes / Listen to the skies / All is calm, all is well / Soon you'll hear Kris Kringle and the jingle bells," Nichols sings during the chorus of this lesser-known holiday hit.

Nichols may be the one to bring back a classic. If singing great traditional country music was as easy as this singer makes it sound, shows like 'American Idol' and 'X Factor' would be packed with cowboy hat-wearing crooners instead of pop-wannabees. While 'Old Toy Trains' was written for children, his fluctuations on lyrics like "Close your eyes" are a warm holiday hug for anyone with two-and-a-half minutes to kill.

"Bringin' old toy trains, little toy tracks / Little toy drums coming from a sack / Carried by a man dressed in white and red / Little boy, don't you think it's time you were in bed," Nichols adds.

Sure, the song is partly a way to reintroduce the 35-year-old's Christmas album, but it's much more than just a means to push product. 'Old Toy Trains' makes an already wonderful holiday collection even better. Amongst modern country singers, perhaps only Alan Jackson is better suited for bringing peace and joy to the holidays.

4.5 Stars
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Listen to Joe Nichols, 'Old Toy Trains'

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