Rhythm Train pulls into the station with Western Swing so authentic, it is unfathomable that this is modern music. Modern music from Switzerland, no less!

And while their pedigree is indeed noteworthy, the most memorable thing about Back on Track is the music. Featuring classics by Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb and Carl Perkins, with a handful of originals to accompany them, this collection is full of more western gold than the Comstock Lode.

Walter Thut's slide guitar chirps brightly on "Rootie Tootie", then slows to a plaintive wail on "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". The vocal harmony is fine throughout, with the possible exception of a rendition of "Lookin' Better Every Beer" that might have been recorded 'in character'.

Singer Urs Odermatt carries all the tunes nicely, including Perkins' "Movie Magg", which also highlights the lead guitar sound of his vintage Gretsch. The band really lives up to their name on Conway Twitty's "Long Black Train", fueled by the bass of Marcel Brum. There's no doubt that Back on Track is on the right track, a collection of western swing and hillbilly music that's sure to satisfy.

www.rhythmtrain.ch