Lonely Avenue

Novelist Nick Hornby has written so eloquently, passionately and yes, obsessively about pop music that it probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that he has decided to cross over to the other side. What is surprising is his choice of a collaborative partner (though it seems Folds contacted the High Fidelity author first, after receiving a favourable review).
Ultimately it’s the music that will ensure the success or otherwise of this unlikely project and, we are glad to report that the tunes are terrific: the jerky ‘Doc Pomus’ – a tribute to the legendary songwriter of the same name – gives the album its title (his song ‘Lonely Avenue’ was a huge hit for Ray Charles in the 1950s); ‘Claire’s Ninth’ boasts gorgeous Beach Boys style harmonies with a Prefab Sprout style melody; meanwhile (to these ears at any rate), ‘From Above’, the infectiously melodic first single from the album, recalls a Deacon Blue tune ‘Real Gone Kid’.
The Steely Dan-sounding ‘Ben Johnson Blues’ hilariously eulogises the man who became famous for er, knocking up Sarah Palin’s daughter: “Woke up this morning, what do I see?/ 3,000 cameras pointed at me/ Dude says, ‘You Levi?’/ I’m like, ‘Yes, that’s me, sir’/ ‘Well, you just knocked up the VP nominee’s daughter’.”
Other highlights include the poignant, ‘Picture Window’ and the white-thrash bashing ‘Your Dogs’ while the whole happy affair concludes with ‘Belinda’ – an elegantly crafted ballad with lush string arrangements by Paul Buckmaster renowned for his work with Bowie and Elton John.
A hugely successful tie-up then, which gets even more compelling with each spin.

KEY TRACK: ‘Doc Pomus’