Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

As leader of Australia’s Silverchair, Daniel Johns was plagued with anorexia and arthritis. But lately things have been looking up. First, the 25-year-old wunderkind conquered his ailments and married Aussie hottie Natalie Imbruglia. Now, this project with electronic producer Paul Mac (think Beach Boys crossed with Brian Eno and Polyphonic Spree) is paying dividends. Songs like “Young Men, Old Man” and the instrumental “Lifting the Veil from the Braille” amount to dreamy, irresistible ear candy. Mar. 15   

The gritty singer of Blood, Sweat and Tears released an admirable blues album with 1998’s Blue Plate Special. Here, Clayton-Thomas tackles a smorgasbord of genres, from blues numbers and folk ballads to jazz standards, with mixed results. While his booming style is well suited to bluesy workouts like “Mercy Lord Above” and “Wild Women & Po’ Boys,” it’s badly misplaced on delicate tunes like Billie Holiday’s “Don’t Explain” and Joni Mitchell’s “River.” Still, give the man credit for attempting this artistic stretch. Mar. 15   

Gentle, introspective and almost narcotically slow, Keren Ann’s moody songs insinuate their way into the bloodstream like a potent drug. “La forme et le fond” shows the Dutch-born, French-raised artist’s fondness for François Hardy-style pop, while “Chelsea Burns,” with its fiddles and harmonicas, has a Cowboy Junkies, country-tinged feel. When the bilingual singer utters the words “my love,” on “One Day Without,” her soft, measured tones reveal an exquisite vulnerability. Blissfully sad, late-night music. Mar. 1