Invariable Headache, City Slang ***

It's Kurt and Cortney, but not as you know them. Lambchop man Kurt Wagner and fellow Nashvillian Cortney Tidwell's first comprehensive collaboration is a collection of country covers with a difference. Tidwell's grandfather founded Chart Records in the 1960s, and the pair have dredged its back catalogue for the hidden gems buried within. Much of Invariable Heartacheis run-of-the-mill (if well-played) fare, but at times it also emits a warm, consoling radiance, as heard on the swoonsome balm of A Special Day. Elsewhere, the peppy Picking Wild Mountain Berriessees the duo effortlessly slip into Johnny/June territory, while the excellent Penetration takes a diversion into shuffling 1970s folk-pop. True, you won't find anything close to avant- garde here – but as an homage to a little-known label, it's admirable.

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Download tracks: Penetration, A Special Day