Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

King Wilkie, a young, six-piece bluegrass outfit from Charlottesville, Virginia, takes its name from Bill Monroe's horse. That says a lot about these boys’ tastes. Rather than pursue commercial bluegrass, they pay homage to the standard bearers Monroe, Ralph Stanley and the Louvin Brothers, with nods to Gram Parsons and the Byrds. The group’s second album features plenty of sparkling picking and high lonesome singing, especially on anxious songs about the loss of innocence like “Savannah” and “Wrecking Ball.” July 3

An uncompromising talent, O’Connor came out of retirement to release 2005’s Throw Down Your Arms, a collection of conscious reggae classics. Now, the Irish icon offers an album she calls “my attempt to create a place of peace in a time of war.” The two-disc set includes both acoustic and pop versions of eight new numbers and several passionate covers, including “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” from Jesus Christ Superstar. But the best song is her stunning “Something Beautiful,” which radiates peace and tranquility. June 26

England’s Lowe is the king of cool. He produced the Damned, Elvis Costello and the Pretenders. But to have also written “Cruel to Be Kind,” “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” and other classics makes him a legend. He was once even married to Johnny Cash’s step-daughter, Carlene Carter! Lowe’s latest finds the 58-year-old pub-rock pioneer mixing Cash-style laments (“A Better Man”) with such intelligent romantic pop songs as “Hope For Us All” and “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day.” June 26