Electric, Proper Records ****

"Good things happen to bad people, but only for a while . . ." Richard Thompson, touching 64, is back with his 40th album. Little wonder he received an OBE in 2010, after more than 400 songs, including such high-quality offerings as The Snow Goose and Saving the Good Stuff for You. The latter, an affecting ballad, closes Electric. A seven-track bonus disc in the deluxe edition also has a few gems, not least another poignant ballad (I Found a Stray) and Will You Dance, Charlie Boy, the irresistible Cajun-ish opener in which fiddle player Stuart Duncan, producer Buddy Miller and Thompson trade incisive solos. It's not all sparkle – Stuck on the Treadmill sounds like it – but Thompson remains a singular talent, whose knowledge of British tradition continues to colour his music. richardthompson-music.com

Download: Saving the Good Stuff for You, Will You Dance, Charlie Boy