 Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a " B " rating and called it a " mixed bag " . He described performances by Vanessa Carlton and Bright Eyes as " painful " but also complimented the Barenaked Ladies and McLachlan for their collaboration . Willman considered Wilson 's " What a Year for a New Year " the stand @-@ out track of the album . Annie Zaleski of The Phoenix rated the album 2 @.@ 5 out of 4 stars , calling some of the collection " gorgeous and alluring " but most of it " subdued " . Zaleski complimented the title track but criticized performances by Coldplay and Bright Eyes , the latter for its " unsteady , wobbly twang " . Zaleski and Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times also praised " 12 / 23 / 95 " . Zaleski concluded : " Not exactly your traditional take on traditional holiday fare , but a pleasant alternative to all the muzak you have to put up with this time of year . " 
