Alone Walk,1969 Records, ****

It's been five years since Dave Couse's last album ( The World Should Know), and it's debatable whether anyone under a certain age will be interested in a new one.

Couse is, after all, a middle-aged maker of music that is the polar opposite to what passes for pop these days. Why, then, is his new album so affecting and so good? Is it because he has remained true to his initial vocation of being a Grade-A irritant while simultaneously listening to the resilient if wary throbs of a mature pulse? Or is it because so much here is the work of a singular songwriter getting to grips (as is his wont) with nitty-gritty subjects in a reflective, almost sombre (but always compelling) manner?

The overall musical palette of muted piano and violin might not win over Leona Lewis fans (indeed, it may even disappoint fervent A House lovers), but that’s their loss, not ours. In short, class. See myspace.com/davecouse

Download tracks: Black and White, Good Friday, Time