Album: Rod Stewart, Merry Christmas, Baby (Decca)

You'll have heard tracks from Rod's Christmas debut on the M&S and Westfield ads; rest assured, it's perfect music to buy socks to.

Humbugness aside, though, it's a serviceable collection of jazzy covers and duets, whose syrupy production works better on, say, "Let It Snow!" than "Silent Night". Though that husk of a voice rather too obviously strains for reverence; you can't help thinking the Cookie Monster might have made a better fist of things.