Love Album
Far from collapsing after the departure of founder member Brian McFadden, Irish boy-band Westlife have gone from strength to strength. In the last two years they've undertaken successful tours, delivered top-notch singles and albums and generally behaved like the optimistic, non-stop pop sensations they are. Having recently inked a new five-album deal with Sony, this trend looks set to continue well into the future too.The Love Album, their eighth studio LP, sees the band offer something a little different. Covering 11 of what they consider to be the greatest love songs of all time, it presents a mix of classics and less obvious choices. The album begins with lead single, "The Rose", a reworking of Bette Midler's 80s smash hit, and proceeds idiosyncratically but smoothly through Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart", The Commodores' languorous "Easy" and evergreen ballads such as Kasey Cisyk's "You Light Up My Life" and Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful  (To Me)". There's also a sterling collaboration with Aussie pop princess Delta Goodrem - a cover of Air Supply's "All Out Of Love" - and a rousing rendition of the Righteous Brothers hit "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" to wrap things up nicely. Along with mistletoe and candlelight, this is an Xmas must-have for all incurable romantics.--Danny McKenna