Tim James. Aly & AJ, along with executive producers Armato and James, adapted and arranged most of the cover songs on the album. Many of the songs incorporate heavy instrumentation, such as guitar, cello, percussion, bass, and piano. The album is mainly composed of cover versions of Christmas carols and contemporary holiday classics, while two original numbers are included. "Joy to the World", "We Three Kings", "The First Noel", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and "Silent Night" are religious traditional carols. Also included are the traditional "Deck the Halls", as well as "I'll Be Home for Christmas", "The Little Drummer Boy", originally performed by Harry Simeone and "Let It Snow", notably performed by Vaughan Monroe. The album's opening number "Greatest Time of Year", the first of the album's two originals, was written by Aly & AJ, Armato, and James. The second original and closing track, "Not This Year" is a reflection about past Christmases, and how the current is different. According to the duo, the song is dedicated to their grandmother Carmen, who died on Christmas Eve a few years previous. On the 2007 edition of the album exclusively available at retailer Target, the traditionals "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland" were bonus tracks, as well as "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", originally performed by Brenda Lee. Reception Critical reception Matt Collar of Allmusic complimented the classic Christmas songs composed in a "light, contemporary pop fashion," noting Aly & AJ's original songs as standouts on the album. Logan Leasure of Jesus Freak Hideout commended Aly & AJ's "powerhouse" vocals on the tracks, but said carols such as "The First Noel" and "Deck the Halls" were a bit boring, due to the acoustic feel of the set. Overall, Leasure said "This album has its good share of standout tracks that are sure to satisfy any fan of modern Christmas music." He specifically pointed out "Little Drummer Boy" and the impressive lyrical content of "Not This Year. Tampa Bay Times critic Sean Daly praised the duo's original songs, on which they "ditch the wispy routine". On the other hand, he viewed the rest of the album as "flat and forgettable". Chart performance On the chart dated November 25, 2006, nearly two months after initial release, Acoustic Hearts of Winter debuted at number 114 on the Billboard 200. The album rose to its peak position of 78 the following week.