Dutchman's CurveContinental Song City ***

It is cheering to see greying mavericks still game for battle. Now motoring through his 60s, with a string of quirky albums behind him, American singer- songwriter David Olney is back with another interesting,

honest and just slightly offbeat collection laced with fine melody and telling observation. The title references the US's worst train crash. The stomping, ukulele-driven opening track also has a train motif, albeit Train Wreckis about a woman. Its home is the blues, but elsewhere on the 13 tracks Olney recalls Buddy Holly ( Lucky Star, Mr Moon), doo-wop ( Little Sparrow) country-folk ( Covington Girl), dirty growling blues ( Way Down Deep), pop ( If I Were You) and soft folk (Mister Vermeer). He and producer Jack Irwin keep it all flowing – no small achievement. See davidolney. com

Download tracks:Train Wreck, Little Sparrow, Covington Girl