Kate & Anna McGarrigle- 'The McGaririgle Christmas Hour' (Nonesuch Records) Released 14/11/05

In case you didn't know, (they have friends in high places God, Emmylou Harris to name but two) so you should, the McGarrigle sisters have been around the French Canadian folky circuit board for decades. In the name of Jesus, his moderately merry men and the eternally strict standing rule: If the carol's not long enough it don't mean shit; The McGarrigle Christmas Hour begins with the slightly joy sucking 'Seven Joys Of Mary' and floats on up from there. As is the essence of the album, family and friends feature heavenly, er heavily, and are most welcome. The named sisters, and to be sure they aren't shy of double use of surnames for their collections: The McGarrigle sisters present The McGarrigle collection this and the McGarrigle collective that (thus this being a bit of both); have blessed the world with children Martha and Rufus Wainwright and Lily Lankin.

Some lovely songs such as 'Il Est Ne' can suffer from a slight state of Irish irratant in the form of the all too jolly fiddle playing with nuances of wind chime. Some occasions or moods it works fine in, such as Christmas one supposes. 'What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?' Rufus wanted to know, or maybe he just wanted to have a little think while he had some spare moments pedalling, like he so often does, at the piano. If 'Some Children See Him' doesn't send shivers down your spine, there's something wrong with you. The choir peoples coming together for a 'Lord of the Rings', sorry Kings, moment truly elevates the spot. Ooh Emmylou, sing that song again. Just so you know, the sweet, seductive, breathless version of Emmylou's 'O Little Town Of Bethlehem' is the one you want to request this Christmas if you're inclined to request at all.

Jackson Browne's 'Rebel Jesus' is sent off with a marvellous marching beat and a generous twist of folk. Oh my, 'Wise Men' should surely be crowned the Woodstock of King Wensles time. How beautiful doth the hand drum sound? And those winded instruments... 'Merry Christmas And Happy New Year' "ahh-ha-ha-ha" is sung in such sinister tones that one's ultimate challenge is to consider how it could concievably be a worse year than the one we're in. "Mmm-mm-mm-mm (etc.), I'll have a blue Christmas without you..."  And you, you may feel a log short of a healthy fire if you attempt to get through the season without at least one decent 'holiday' collection such as this.