Josh Rouse/Strays Don't Sleep @ Queen's Hall

Tonight, as rain swept Edinburgh buttoned up its collective winter garments, Nashville's finest were treating those inside the elegant Queen's Hall to an evening of fine, harmony filled and heartfelt ditties. Strays Don't Sleep whetted the appetite with a pleasant, if at times a little uninspiring, take on Crowded House fronted by Springsteen, Whilst Rouse, of course, was the dish of the day, playing beautifully stripped down renditions of songs mainly taken from his last two albums, 2005's 'Nashville' and early-2006's Mediterranean-infused 'Subtitulo'. Accompanied by bassist and an impressively able drummer/harmoniser, Rouse managed to achieve that fine balance between melancholic and uplifting whilst whipping-up the middle-aged crowd into something of a frenzy. The many standouts included opener Quiet Town and the irresistible Night-time with Winter in the Hamptons perhaps shading the lot by way of a crowd singalong. Magic. [Jon Seller]