Rock, the blues, soul music - even a duet with Sir Cliff. Van the Man has done almost the lot in a career spanning five decades. It is surprising then that this should be the Belfast Boy's first real foray into country music. This set was recorded not in Nashville but in the Emerald Isle - where actually country and western music is more popular in some parts of that creative nation than the supposedly ubiquitous diddly-diddly music of countless Guinness ads.

Nor did he use a troupe of hardened country legends but went with his regular band, including some outstanding steel guitar playing by Paul Godden. The album features three original compositions as well as a trawl through some of the best known and not-so-well-known country tunes, including Hank Williams' Your Cheatin' Heart, Things Have Gone To Pieces by Leon Payne and Clarence Williams' My Bucket's Got A Hole In It.

Where he comes into his own, though, is when he is having a stab at writing and singing the genre himself, notably on the album's title track. He seems more heartfelt when doing his own material, for some reason. If Van's your bag, even if country music isn't, this is a must.