Lonely Avenue Nonesuch ****

Having professed himself to be a big fan of Ben Folds, writer Nick Hornby found himself writing lyrics on his hero's new album. These sort of collaborations always look good on paper but never seem to work. Lonely Avenuecould be the exception that proves the rule. Throughout you're reminded of a young Randy Newman as the pair conjure up a set of atypical songs that feature skewed humour and playful melodies.

A typical example would be a song about Levi Johnston, the ex-fiancée of Sarah Palin's daughter: "Dude says 'You Levi?', I'm like 'Yes, that's me, Sir'. Well you just knocked up the VP nominee's daughter". The first single, From Above,is a jaunty, piano- pop affair that shows just how easily two individual talents can work so well together. Lonely Avenueis an eccentric collection with hidden depths and surprising charm. See benfolds.com

Download tracks: Levi Johnston's Blues, From Above