Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Pitched somewhere between Lady Sovereign and The Streets’ Mike Skinner, Allen is the latest raunchy ragamuffin from England to reach these shores. Although her ska-inflected music has all the longevity of a summer Popsicle, songs like the sunny “Smile” and the carnival-like “LDN” (text-speak for London) are undeniably cool and sweet diversions. Meanwhile, tougher numbers like “Knock ’Em Out” and “Not Big” prove that boorish, undersized lads are best advised to steer clear of this whip-smart, 21-year-old firecracker. Sept. 19

Its record label cites Arcade Fire and The Flaming Lips as reference points, but this fey English pop band lacks both passion and theatricality. Clearly, the group has epic-pop pretensions, having enlisted producer Trevor Horn (Frankie Goes to Hollywood). But, despite sweeping melodies and the boy-girl harmonies of Rik Flynn and Clare Szembek, songs like “Frontline,” “Glorious” and “East, West, North, South” amount to empty dramatic gestures. Ultimately, with its ship well adrift, this Captain deserves a mutiny.   Sept. 19

Some found the duet with her dead father creepy, while cynics saw it as crass nostalgia. But Nat “King” Cole’s daughter has long proven herself a gifted singer in her own right. Although best known as a jazz-pop vocalist, this album is a return to her r&b roots, with Cole covering Aretha Franklin’s “Day Dreaming” and The Isley Brothers’ “Don’t Say Goodbye.” The standout track is her deep-soul rendition of Etta James’ “Lovin’ Arms,” but she also bravely tackles pop hits by Fiona Apple, Kate Bush and Shelby Lynne. Sept. 19