Following the release of his debut solo album, Broadway Brick By Brick, Michael Longoria sings us home for the holidays with a collection of his Christmas favourites. Merry Christmas Darling, a romantic holiday album with a throwback '60s vibe, will make you want to hang up your stocking, snuggle up by the fireplace, and get into the Christmas spirit...

Christmas albums. You either love them or hate them. This year I've been reviewing festive album's since October. It feels a bit weird getting festive before Halloween has been and gone, but I have to say that this year there's been quite a good mix of genres.

Michael Longoria’s winter wonderland love-note includes standards like 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas', 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)', weaved in with modern day classics such as 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', and 'Last Christmas'. The album features a special guest vocal from original Jersey Boys co-stars Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, and J. Robert Spencer (The Midtown Men) on 'Little St. Nick' and the debut of an original Christmas song co-written by Michael Longoria and Rona Siddiqui called 'Merry Me This Christmas'.

I suppose whether or not you are likely to pick up this release will depend on whether you're a fan of Jersey Boys, and, in particular, Longoria. But if you're not then don't be put off from buying this album. The songs are varied enough to cover all the bases from old to modern classics as well as songs that don't get as much attention as they should.

I have to admit I was dreading how he'd handle tracks like 'Last Christmas' and 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', which have both become synonymous with distinct artists. When it started, I though Longoria was in danger of butchering 'All I Want for Christmas is You'... but he takes and makes every single song on this album his own... even 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)'.

A wonderful festive album that will get a lot of use over the festive period.

Track listing:

01. Merry Christmas Darling
02. Sleigh Ride
03. My Only Wish (This Year)
04. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
05. Santa Tell Me
06. One More Sleep
07. Little Saint Nick
08. Last Christmas
09. Christmas Waltz
10. All I Want For Christmas Is You
11. Wrapped in Red
12. Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)
13. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
14. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
15. Merry Me This Christmas

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Darren Rea