CD REVIEW: Ben Folds/Nick Hornby "Lonely Avenue"

Nick Hornby is a well known and very cutting edge author of such classics as "High Fidelity" and "About A Boy." Both books were turned into movies that featured equally incredible soundtracks. Now, coming full circle, it's time for Nick Hornby the songwriter. Nick coupled with Ben Folds to release this new album featuring the words of Hornby with music written, played, and sung by pop rock superstar Ben Folds. Folds, known for his quirkiness, poignant lyrics, and distinctive piano playing, did Hornby right and turned his lyrics into a musical masterpiece. The entire album sounds like a soundtrack to a Hornby novel, and features some of Folds' best performances since the breakup of Ben Folds Five. "Your Dogs" and "From Above" are the definite album standouts. The bottom line is that Ben and Nick have combined their distinctive and incredible talents to create a musical collection unlike anything released before, and they did it with style.