A Ball & Boe Christmas album can be viewed one of two ways, either a natural thing for a popular pairing to want to do, or a ploy to grab a slice of an already over-saturated market. Regardless which side of the fence you sit, there is no denying Michael and Alfie are having fun here. The obvious inclusions like ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’, ‘It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas’, ‘White Christmas’ and ‘The Christmas Song’ (which features Gregory Porter) are all delivered with style, but it’s the original ‘My Christmas Will Be Better Than Yours’ which provides the most levity. Whether you need a version of ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘Silent Night’ as a duet with Alfie is personal preference, considering these already appear on Michael’s Christmas CD. It’s a nice record but easily the least important of the Ball & Boe collaborations to date.