Thom Jurek of Allmusic gave a two-star review, calling it "an obvious, cloying exercise in marketing" and saying that it "holds little artistic merit."[1]Paste critic Cory Albertson similarly said, "Gold and Green’s schizophrenic tone seems tailored for mass consumption by country radio and the soccer-mom set, but most other listeners will need far more eggnog to stomach such uninspired holiday cheer."[2] Matt Bjorke reviewed it positively on Roughstock, saying, "City of Silver Dreams" could actually find itself a seminal holiday song like Joni Mitchell’s"River" as it tells a wonderfully soft and melodic story of New York City and the beauty of a new romance within the context of Christmas." The song was co-written with Lisa Carver and Ellis Paul.[4]
Gold and Green debuted at No. 12 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart; it has since risen to a peak of No. 3 on the chart. During the 2009 holiday season, the set sold approximately 256,000 copies.[5]
