If you really think about it, it isn’t that surprising that Nick Hornby and Ben Folds decided to join forces and put an album together. Whether it be in the Englishman’s novels or in the American’s lyrics, the writing is always plain and straightforward; the words and sentences usually as dressed up as visitors to a nudist beach. Add to that Folds’ penchant for slightly left, off the center side-projects (think working with William Shatner and judging an a cappella singing contest on American TV) and Hornby’s passion for music (High Fidelity speaks for itself and the man has reviewed music for the New Yorker), and it was only a matter of time before these two would block out their diaries to work on something that would eventually become Lonely Avenue.

Originally, the intention was to write and record the album in 3 days, but once Folds started hauling orchestras into the studio to contribute to the music he had written to Hornby’s lyrics, there was no looking back. Suffice it to say, the project turned into a slightly bigger beast.

So what’s the album like then? Well, it feels like a Ben Folds album with heavy hints of 70’s nostalgia. Hornby’s lyrics are very similar to Folds’ earlier observational material and Fold’s usual backing band plays on most of the songs. What makes this album just that notch up from a regular Ben Folds album are the more rounded lyrics (Hornby is a writer after all) which, in turn, seems to have given Folds some more time to concentrate on the music. Although there are a few indifferent songs like "A Working Day" and "Saskia Hamilton" that just don’t really work, it’s songs like "Claire’s Ninth" and "Belinda" that make the album. Especially the latter, about a one-hit wonder who has to revisit his regrets every night by singing for an audience who only want to hear his famous song. It's almost a parody if it wasn’t sung and played in such an earnest way, making it sound as if you actually recognise it as one of those piano ballads from your parents’ record collection (that you secretly love).

Altogether, Lonely Avenue is a lovely album that definitely doesn’t sound like the side-project it started out as. I wouldn’t be too surprised if there would be a Lonely Avenue 2 sometime in the future.

Review Score: 7/10