Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

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-...

Elvis Costello is one of pop’s most inventive composers—he once penned a song called “Everyday I Write the Book,” which brilliantly drew parallels between romance and a wordsmith’s craft. Now the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has actually written a book, a memoir called Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, in which he cleverly weaves stories about his life, jazz-musician wife Diana Krall and assorted music-legend friends. He’s also compiled 38 songs on two discs that compliment the themes and stories in his book. The collection draws from his impressive song catalogue, including early hits like “Alison” and “Watching the Detectives” to numbers co-written with the likes of George Jones, All...