There have been some strange collaborations in the music world down the years, but prototype rock god Plant hooking up with bluegrass soprano Krauss ranks as one of the weirdest. Or does it? For Raising Sand producer, the legendary T-Bone Burnett who’s worked with both Bob Dylan and Gillian Welch, Led Zeppelin always were a country band, or as he eloquently expands: “the incantations that Robert was singing were drawn from the Delta and the Appalachian mountains”.

The project came about, according to Krauss, when Plant called her back in 2000 to say he was a big fan and would love to work with her one day. True to his word, he contacted her a few years later about participating in a Leadbelly tribute at the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame where they sang together for the first time. And now this: a collection of covers of relatively unknown tracks from the likes of Sam Phillips, Townes Van Zandt, and the Everly Brothers.

Odd couple or not, you’re unlikely to pick an argument with VeryShortList.com’s prognosis: “Disparate musical pairings often produce unfortunate results: Remember Tony Bennett and Céline Dion? Sometimes, though, the right improbable mix of performers can lead to an altogether new and welcome sound. That’s exactly what happened when… Alison Krauss teamed up with…Robert Plant.”  Hopefully, Plant won’t leave it too long before redialling Krauss’ number.

(4½/5)