Michael Bublé - Christmas
It might seem too early to even be mentioning Christmas, but Michael Bublé is already in the festive spirit with his new album.
In what is sure to be a perfect stocking filler, Christmas is a brilliant and well-crafted collection of many much-loved Christmas hits.
Those who compare Bublé to the likes of Frank Sinatra will have much more to strengthen their stance, big band takes on tracks like 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town'.
It's a fairly safe idea for a release, but given Michael Bublé's fan-base and crooning vocals, it makes perfect sense.
He seems to be having fun, particularly on his slightly tongue-in-cheek revision of 'Santa Baby'.
Giving it a marginally more masculine twist, Bublé's clearly enjoying himself, crooning 'Santa buddy' as he asks for a Rolex watch and new car.
It's the subtle things that make this stand out, as Bublé puts his own stamp on the classics without trying to totally reinvent them.
Particularly touching is his version of Franz Schubert's 'Ave Maria', a beautiful moment on a wholey consistent and seasonal record.
Not content with putting out a fantastic collection of Christmas standards (from religious songs to covers like 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'), Bublé even collaborates with Alan Chang to write a new song.
'Cold December Night' fits in perfectly amongst the classics, and it's bound to be one that becomes a Christmas mainstay over the next few years.
Michael Bublé has compiled a wonderful record (despite being released a little early), and even the hardest of critics will find themself enjoying this at Christmas.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge (Follow me on Twitter: @AlistairMcG)
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