Much respected Sydney song-smith David Lane heralds his return with a brilliant new album Head in The Clouds. A number of years in the making, with astute final direction by Amanda Brown (Go-Betweens), Head in The Clouds is a stunning collection of the sophisticated, melody-driven pop and beautiful, unadorned ballads which have earned Lane quiet recognition as one Australia's finest songwriters and comparisons to Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and Paul Kelly. Lane has an undeniable talent for writing sharp observations carried by catchy melodies and delivered with just the right amount of emotional weight. There's the rollicking, celebratory pop of title track `Head in The Clouds' and `Morning Sun' or the tender, yearning of `Mother Earth' (written 17 years ago at the height of the conservation movement but still holds true today). There's also the hopeful melancholy of `(Its Not) The End of the Road' or the effortless beauty of the parable `Treasure Map'.An accomplished pianist and guitarist himself, Lane gathers together some fine talent and players for this album - Amanda Brown (Go-Betweens) plays mandolin, keyboards and sings, Abby Dobson (Leonardo's Bride) also sings, while Naomi Radom arranges the strings. Richard Boxhall's on lead guitar and the rhythm section is looked after by Dean Manning (Leonardo's Bride), David Galafassi & Pete Farley (Toni Collette & The Finish) with some fine playing by Jim Elliot & Greg Royal on the title track.