THERE are a few sleepy campfire ballads in this collaboration from country princess Kasey Chambers and former rocker Shane Nicholson.

But the honesty and affinity the pair display keep you listening, even if you are hanging out for something a bit more upbeat. Judging by the duo's sold-out show next Wedensday at the Warrnambool Entertainment Centre, there's a healthy market for the pair's brand of star-gazing alt-country.

Chambers' latest release comes seven years after Barricades And Brickwalls catapaulted her and Australian country music onto the mainstream charts.

Nicholson seems to spend much of this collaboration in a supporting role, which some may find a step down from his time as frontman in Brisbane rock outfit Pretty Violet Stain.

But the better tracks tend to have him playing a bigger role.

Opening title track Rattlin' Bones and its mild bluesy feel raises your hopes of some rousing tracks to come but there's plenty of emotion-drenched songs in store.

Monkey On A Wire showcases Nicholson's soothing voice as well as some impressive work on the fiddle.

One More Year takes you along for the sad journey of a relationship inevitably going nowhere.

Out comes the banjo in The House That Never Was, lifting the mood slightly.

Even the hardest of cowboys couldn't help but be touched by the beauty of the album's stand-out duet Wildflower. The Devil's In My Head brings a welcome blues shift, with the help of some vigorous banjo work and strident vocals from Chambers.

But the ominous Sleeping Cold is my pick across the album for its rousing guitar and banjo offerings as well as the pair's highly complementary vocals. It's a bit teary at times but most listeners will be captivated by at least some of the pair's highly accomplished work.