Whilst the latest Cameron Crowe directorial effort is attracting brickbats and no bouquets, the same most certainly cannot be said of the soundtrack. One of these days, Crowe is going to put out a boxset of his 100 favourite songs and it’s going to be nothing short of wonderful.

More rustic and rootsy than the rockin’ Almost Famous compendium, the soundtrack to Elizabethtown harks back to much of the bands of his era – Nancy Wilson, Lindsay Buckingham, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and the Hombres, but also incorporates a slew of newer acts, including Patty Griffin’s lovely 2002 track “Long Ride Home”.

Of the newer material, both my morning jacket and Ryan Adams contribute songs that, truth be told, wouldn’t sound out of place in the mid-1970s. “Come Pick Me Up” from Adams classic solo debut is a stunner, but the previously unreleased “Where to Begin” from mmj is a stunner, showing how brilliant their new album Z is if that fails to make the cut. Wheat’s lovely “Don’t I Hold You” also appears.

Once more, Crowe utilises Elton John to make emotional impact – “My Father’s Gun” is a great six minute romp of Elton at his peak. The thing about the Elizabethtown is that it’s so well put together; each moment moves smoothly to the next. Even Crowe’s co-write with Nancy Wilson, the closing “Same in Any Language” feels just right. The man might not be able to tell great stories all the time, but it appears he still knows how they should sound.