Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Country music’s redneck woman got all jacked up on her last album, drinkin’ way too much and drivin’ her truck off into the night anyway. On her third release, Wilson balances butt-kickin’ anthems like the title track and the trailer-trashy “There Goes the Neighborhood” with such well-behaved numbers as “Come to Bed,” “Heaven Help Me” and “To Tell the Truth.” Does that make rowdy Gretchen a sensitive redneck now? May 15   

Aside from Kasabian, the View is the only current band to win Liam Gallagher’s thumbs up. Given the Oasis frontman’s reputation as a yobbo, that endorsement might prove a curse. But the young quartet, led by singer Kyle Falconer, deserves a listen, thanks to tuneful Britpop numbers like “Same Jeans, “Wasted Little DJs,” “Superstar Tradesman” and the giddy “Skag Trendy,” featuring Falconer’s full Scottish brogue. With a bit more piss ’n’ vinegar, the View might even come to rival the U.K.’s fabulous Arctic Monkeys. May 8

Since settling in the Big Apple, the Parisian chanteuse seems to have traded her François Hardy mannerisms for Nico-like Velvet Underground influences. While her previous album, Nolita, featured whispery vocals and sensuous, late-night tones, Keren Ann’s latest boasts a generally tougher sound, from bluesy holler of “It Ain’t No Crime” to the drugged-out experiments of “Caspia.” The new album’s most appealing track is “Lay Your Head Down,” a dreamy rock number featuring cello, handclaps and harmonica. May 8