The book is out on Nick Waterhouse and now he is settling in to a career of perfecting his sound. That distinct sound is taken straight out of 50s and while Waterhouse isn’t the only artist tracking songs like this, he is clearly among the best.

On his Third album “Never Twice” Waterhouse sounds as comfortable as ever. He puts his band up front giving tons of solos to various players throughout the album. This can be problematic sometimes but for the mostpart it works here. Sure “Stanyan Street” gets a little long in the tooth at nearly 8 minutes but it is a good jam. The best songs here are where Waterhouse is straightforward though, like on the album opener “It’s Time” and side B’s lead track “The Old Place.” The hooks on the Leon Bridges cowritten tune “Katchi” and “The Old Place” are simply irresistible in every way. The fact that “Katchi” isn’t blasting out of the speakers at every pop radio station in the country is just a shame. The finale is where the sweetest fruits lie though. The west coast feel of “LA Turnaround” goes beyond its name and lyrics, it’s a jaunty, smooth swinging tune that is relaxed and patient in all of the right ways. The organ coating the background gives it a perfect 50x-60s feel and the track is so good yet hard to put finger on exactly why.

Overall any Nick Waterhouse album so far is pretty great and consistent but this one may just rise to your favorite after a couple listens.

Key Tracks: “LA Turnaround” “Katchi” “The Old Place”