Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Neko Case’s extraordinary journey from punk drummer and country torch singer to avant pop icon is well documented in this box set, which gathers her entire discography of eight titles on remastered vinyl and includes an 80-page book of photography. The collection features the American-born, Canadian-bred musician’s 1997 solo debut The Virginian, on vinyl for the first time, and her excellent 2004 live album The Tigers Have Spoken, recorded with Toronto’s The Sadies. There are a wealth of inspired covers, including the Everly Brothers’ “Bowling Green” and Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Soulful Shade of Blue,” and such stunning originals as “Hold On, Hold On” and “Near Midnight, Honolulu...

The British star’s last album, 21, sold over 30 million copies—the only release this century to reach that zenith, making Adele’s long-awaited followup something like pop’s second coming. The “Rolling in the Deep” singer doesn’t disappoint. Her new album revisits the heartbreak that informed 21 while allowing Adele, now a mother of one in a steady relationship, to move on. It opens with “Hello,” featuring her wondrously deep, soulful voice, and includes “When We Were Young,” about running into an old flame. “River Lea,” takes her into gospel territory, while “All I Ask,” her collaboration with Bruno Mars and his crew, expresses loneliness with palpable emotion. Best of all is the adventurous...

With his handsome dark looks and deep melancholic croon, the California singer and actor easily channels  early Elvis Presley. For his last album, Beyond the Sun, Isaak actually ventured to Memphis to cover the King and other legends on the iconic Sun Records label like Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. This time around, the “Wicked Game” singer took his muse to Nashville and worked with some of Music City’s finest songwriters and session musicians. The result is a collection that bristles with originality while still paying homage to heroes. The rollicking “Down in Flames” cites both Elvis and Hank Williams in its lyrics, while the piano-driven “Running Down the Road” is pure Jerry Lee-...