Why is it that classic country music is so often characterised as good for a laugh and little else? It's time may have gone but when Tammy and George sang of their problems they were reflecting the dismal lives of millions of ordinary Americans. That is the connection British duo My Darling Clementine, aka wonderful singer Lou Dalgleish and songwriter Michael Weston King, celebrate with this, the second of what are effectively tribute albums to a genre. The follow-up to cult success How Do You Plead? stretches the duo with more personal songs, notably Ashes, Flowers and Dust (for their late parents), while Dalgleish's No Matter What Tammy Said (I Won't Stand By Him) twists the genre to take on wife abuse. The playing is top-notch and their love of the music rings true. Mydarlingclementinemusic.com

Download: No Matter What Tammy Said