Over in the Pacific islands where Jack Johnson and his Brushfire label call home, it’s not so much a white Christmas as Christmas in paradise. Lack of frozen precipitation doesn’t lessen their festive spirit however, and this collection includes covers from Mr. Johnson himself alongside original pieces from the likes of Money Mark and G. Love.

The sharp-tailored garage-revivalists and the 80s campaigner for female hedonism, combine for an alternative seasonal ditty in the tradition of The Pogues and the Ramones. A sordid, sleazy tale about drinking, unfaithfulness and hatred of respective in-laws, all set around the wholesome festive period. A raucous, nasty little alternative if you’re heartily sick of sleigh bells.

Oddly, for a song widely considered the best Christmas song ever, ‘Fairy Tale…’ has never been a Christmas Number One. Acceptable in all quarters it may not be, but there is a resonance in the cynical, smutty and ultimately forlorn exchange between MacGowan and MacColl, that reminds us of what we should be grateful for while we’re slowly sweating off the dinner in front of the telly.

Some more cynical commentators might point at the modern contributions to the festive chart and sneer, seeing nothing but a bunch of gyrating mannequins making it harder for us to digest gran’s granite-hard sprouts. Even they however would be hard pressed to dismiss this; some of the greatest acts of the 60s brought together for the festive season. This is rightly regarded as the best Xmas album ever.