As someone who unapologetically loves Christmas and the holiday season, from November to February you can bet I’m bumping festive music. My top picks are Mariah, Boyz II Men and Michael Buble.

Last week - without much warning - James Fauntleroy (aka frontman of collective Cocaine 80’s and songwriter for the likes of Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake, and Frank Ocean) dropped a sexy Christmas album called The Warmest Winter Ever.

Still a relatively well-kept secret, James Fauntleroy is a forward-thinking musician who has championed a completely fresh and distinctive R&B sound. Even the newly initiated fan could pick his music on hearing it - Always smooth, always rhythmic, always sexy. His sound fills, undulates, and encompasses. Melody is placed atop melody to create textured layers. Fauntleroy, often using few or no instruments, instead regularly samples his own amazing voice to rework and rebuild countless inventive sounds.

This particular project accomplishes exactly what I assume he intended – to bring warmth, comfort and joy during what is [for our Northern neighbours] the coldest season. For the rest of us lucky enough to have BBQ’s at the beach on Christmas day, it is just really great December music.

It is nothing new to see an artist release both original Christmas songs, as well as modern covers of carols this time of year, however Fauntleroy’s work is something different. Sure, he runs with the festive theme wholeheartedly (with song titles like: Stocking Stuffer, Miselletoe, Christmas Everynight, Christmas Everyday) but the music itself is in no way corny. On the contrary, it's infused with the same sexy R&B quality that has become synonymous with his name. This is an album that is most welcome during the festive months, but more importantly, transcends the holiday season to see us through the whole year ahead – Feliz Navidad!