Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

The 17th album from Sweet Baby James—and his first collection of new songs in 13 years—is a beauty, full of charming love songs (“You and I Again”), an ode to Toronto (“Snowtime”) and his obsession with baseball’s Boston Red Sox (“Angels of Fenway”) and a gorgeous version of the folk classic “Wild Mountain Thyme.”

Florence Welch possesses one of the biggest, bluest and, yes, most beautiful voices in pop music. Her band’s third album is the perfect showcase for her dramatic vocals and intimate lyrics, best illustrated on songs like the gospel-laced “Delilah,” the explosive rocker “What Kind of Man” and the title track with its stately brass fanfare.

The Ladies’ currency has always been catchy songs that excel in clever rhymes and witty wordplay. After 27 years, the Ladies—Ed Robertson, Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn and Tyler Stewart—are at their tuneful, wisecracking best. The group’s 14th album finds the Ladies on a roll, boasting all the swagger of a group that knows its strengths. It opens with the rocking “Get Back Up,” a song about midlife resurgence that floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee with its pithy boxing metaphors. “Say What You Want” is an exuberant expression of mature confidence, while “Duct Tape Heart” uses Red Green’s favorite fix-all material to express romantic resiliency. The title track reflects Robertson’s o...