Raw, rough yet beautifully crafted, Taylor’s music is pure, honest and riveting in its unadorned simplicity.

The sound on these remasters crackles, revealing musical and lyrical nuances along with spotlighting how critical Mark Ortmann’s in-the-pocket drumming is to the vibe.

While a number of other covers grace the set like Merle Haggard’s “Working Man Blues” and Johnny Cash and June Carter’s “Jackson,” the group also penned some fantastic originals.

The bulk of these songs feature clichéd lyrics and arm-waving call and response construction.... That said, there is talent and maturity in the song craft, production and playing.

His latest, instead, is rife with sumptuous arrangements steeped in gorgeous layers of piano and organ, with much subtler licks of guitar sliding in like skin on silk sheets.

Maybe Jagbags would be better if it were tighter, but you’d lose the crucial impression of a man whose primary mission is now to entertain himself.

Even though its origins are a bit unique, And I’ll Scratch Yours is still your garden-variety tribute album, subject to all of the perks and limitations that such projects tend to contain.

High Hopes plays very much like a sequel to Wrecking Ball, but Springsteen is less angry and blameful, more cheerfully weary this time around.

All in all, Blue Rider is a stirring experience, one that elicits emotions with the most subtle of brush strokes and simplest of sounds.

Benson may jump at a Raconteurs reunion should it ever appear, but with a release as strong as You Were Right, he deserves to be playing mid-sized halls as a headliner in his own right.

The performances themselves are well-arranged and played in virtually all aspects, although as a full listening experience, it gets a bit repetitive by album’s end, even at a scant 45 minutes.

Live At The Cellar Door sounds like Neil Young with his head down playing to an exceedingly polite crowd.... But the real gems here are the pared down Everybody Knows tracks.

Like the most powerful of drugs, it will initially make you feel queasy. But once that passes, there’s a tangible bliss to be had... it’s the stuff addictions are made of.

This well-intentioned exercise in nostalgia is an enticing 52 minute ride (three more are on a the deluxe edition), and if it sends Gen X’ers back to the archetype versions and keeps them out of the karaoke clubs, it’s more than done its job.

Even though On Air-Live At The BBC Volume 2 might not be the most revelatory release, it’s still a couple of hours’ worth of The Beatles in their prime, and that makes it essential listening.

Ultimately, Back To Land is a little too much “vibe” and not enough “oomph”--a not unpleasurable 40-minute cruise, but one which sometimes feels lo

Their apparent lack of restraint more often translates to ridiculous indulgence.... Antiphon is, however, an impressively executed album, and a true feat of musicianship in a genre that is more typically driven by songwriters lacking technical ability.

Once you hear any of them, you’ll want more, especially since this compact 32 minute disc ends way too soon.

Magpie is chock full of tracks that show the Avett Brothers are (very wisely) growing their sound, while remaining true to their core principles and what listeners like about them to begin with.

Surveys of his life and work still manage to produce fresh revelations, and American Radical Patriot, Rounder Records’ just-released collection of government-related Guthrie recordings, provides extraordinary new insight into the complex mind of this simple-sounding folk icon.

There seems to be a slightly less edgy approach to these ten tracks, some of which could have used a dose of the hyper-caffeinated style TDM3 whip up in front of an audience.

A predominantly lush, lovely rendered debut that is never less than pleasant. Unfortunately, it’s seldom more than that either as these amiable tunes drift on a dreamy haze that threatens to slide into a memorable chorus or melody, but seldom does.

They’ve recorded another stunning album that’s going to be a bear to follow up.

It adds up to a challenging, taut, and inspirational 39 minutes of music you won’t be humming after the first spin. But, because of its confidence, integrity and diversity, you’ll be back for repeated visits.

Ultimately, there’s not a single song here that fails to resonate or emphatically evoke emotions.

In its original, and here remastered, 10 track format (a somewhat superfluous if clean 5.1 remix, audio only DVD is also included), it’s every bit as memorable, timeless and nearly as entertaining if not quite as challenging as Astral Weeks.... But hearing so many working versions of these songs can be a trying, time consuming yet occasionally enjoyable experience.

Part of what made Nirvana’s final studio album so monumental was everything that made Nevermind a classic--an abrasive retooling of the pop songwriting handbook.

12 Stories, a record full of humor and pain, remorse and reckoning, is one of the very best country debuts of 2013.

What The Head and The Heart do best are ballads, even if they can’t help themselves from venturing into other arenas now and again.

New proves that inspiration is not a problem for Paul McCartney, who shows both his contemporaries and the youngsters alike how to make rich music while swinging for the cheap seats.

It may not have a story of a lost classic, but it has the music of a freshly discovered treasure.

The Warren Haynes fronted quartet’s first studio album in four years and its Blue Note label debut is a typically gritty eleven song set of gutsy Southern blues rock.

There aren’t many hooks to latch onto, his emotional tenor is difficult to gauge, and although his four-piece band works hard to vary its sonic palette, no amount of electronic drums, thickly-layered synths, Spanish guitars and theremins can cover a humdrum set of songs.

[Kevin Barnes] sounds like he’s gotten more comfortable here, and while that doesn’t always make for the best music, in the case of Of Montreal, it resulted in one of their best.

Teeming with melodic hooks and reflective lyrics, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! is both hypnotic (the lingering closer “The End of All Things”) and beguiling (Far Too Young to Die” and second single “This Is Gospel”).

While this is still a typical Alan Jackson album in many ways, it’s a fine bluegrass album, and a good primer for those who aren’t all that familiar with what bluegrass is supposed to be.

It’s the sound of a knowing band reveling in what it does best. B-Room, which combines the scrappiness of the band’s earliest records with a matured sense of songcraft, is sure to please longtime Dr. Dog fans.

From the album’s clunky title which is simply a list of all 13 tracks with no punctuation, to its incessant use of a brittle, dated drum machine (could Doughty not afford to hire a live drummer with the money he raised from fans to finance this?), most of this feels calculated, deliberate and stiff.

It’s a logical extension of their earlier work that’s easier on the ears without watering down the inherent craftiness of the vibe or, even worse, selling out.

It may have taken a while for The Bones Of What You Believe to arrive, but it more than meets the standards of all the tantalizing sneak previews.

In the hands of a wannabe, the aforementioned songs might sound somewhat cloying, but given Young’s rugged vocals and apparent reservoir of conviction, the emotions ring true.

The Diving Board proves that Elton John is on the right musical path once again, sounding so energized by the familiar trappings that a career renaissance, which seemed a long shot a few years back, now seems thrillingly possible.

Even if they may sound dated, there’s a reason these tunes are collectively considered as additions to The Great American Songbook.

By design, Mechanical Bull was made for fun, and in that spirit, they succeeded.

Competent though they are, the band’s experiments stretch cohesion to its limits, and Spreading Rumours consequently feels like a collection of singles rather than an album-length statement.

Wise Up Ghost is a fearless, invigorating gut-punch of a record, one that never settles and surprises from start to finish.

Lissie’s latest record, one the year’s most consistent, sprightly indie-pop albums, is a well-rounded introduction to the young singer.

By smartly abandoning the hip-hop and indie rock impulses that have appeared on, and arguably watered down, previous NMAS releases, the brothers Dickinson focus on what they do best; grind out muddy boogie with the pulsating, sweat soaked intensity of those that originated the rustic music they clearly love.

In its strongest moments--though there are no real weak moments to speak of--Dream River presents a compelling, gorgeous sonic world in which to get blissfully lost.

There’s no dancing allowed but anyone looking for a calm come-down after a night at the clubs, London Grammar speaks your language.

All told this a classy and worthy addition to your “Elvis, the later years” collection.

The album is at its best when it sticks to the timeless stuff about love and loss.

While it doesn’t include some of his best post-jail efforts, the set documents the beginning of one of the greatest second acts in rock history.

Bergquist is in wonderfully relaxed voice and the open production by Joe Henry allows her vocals--a mix of Sheryl Crow, Rickie Lee Jones and even Billie Holiday at times--plenty of room to explore the bucolic shadows and light of the material.

It’s Okkervil River’s most mature album yet--coming after six previous records that were already fully formed.

This is a mammoth and comprehensive overview of one of the major musicians of our time and as such, is essential listening for all enthusiasts of funk, soul and rock.

Stills’ vocal limitations, brought on through age and hearing loss, are well known by now. But in this looser environment they are almost an asset as he spits out lyrics with joyful abandon.

Bob Dylan may have gone to drastic lengths with his music to achieve the simple pleasures he sought. Those willing to accept simple pleasures in return will find plenty to like on Another Self Portrait. It’s a collection that shows that Dylan may not have been painting masterpieces in 1970, but he was still delivering colorful miniatures.

Unlike other singer/songwriters, she consistently pushes her and her audience’s boundaries with music that’s as catchy as it is intriguing and idiosyncratic.

Here they keep the songs lean, tough and relatively compact, reigning in Trucks’ more expansive slide tendencies in favor of nailing tight, tough arrangements featuring Tedeschi’s gutsy vocals.

Carry On stuns from start to finish and the quality only increases with each repeat listen.

Golden Suits’ debut brims with great ingredients, but leaves us more excited about Nicolaus’ next effort.

Give Mayer credit for keeping his languid country pop organic and as rootsy as someone with his honeyed voice can sound. Yet that only reveals the mediocre quality of the bulk of this material and is no excuse for his sleepwalking performance of it.

Where You Stand is a welcome, beautifully crafted and timeless return.

These strummy rockers, highlighted by the group’s established three-part harmonies, are some of the most incisive and powerful in their catalog. Those who acquire music one track at a time need to rethink their position here since these songs weave together to form a tapestry that works as a beautifully constructed unified whole.

Ultimately, Crash My Party is melodiously rewarding despite its sporadic lyrical missteps.

His latest album isn’t a pop masterpiece, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few enjoyable tunes that even non-fans should be able to find themselves hitting the rewind button a time or two.

Surprisingly the results are pretty great and even if they won’t make you forget the often charmingly dated originals.

Perhaps the greatest strength holding The Olms debut together is it’s total lack of pretense: it is what it is... just because. And on that level, it works just fine.

While it’s not the place to start for newbies, this is a refreshing, consistently well-crafted comeback that shows there is plenty of gas left in the band’s tank.

The Civil Wars is a testament to the power of their undeniable musical chemistry. It’s even better than their Grammy-winning debut, Barton Hollow.

If this sounds like something of a scattered mess, it is, but it’s a charming one and well worth a go-round for the more adventurous listener willing to let themselves take a wild and wooly trek back in history.

This is a great example of what a “tribute” album should be when compared to the countless other such recordings that are out there that are made primarily for the sake of money. This is real country music, albeit from the arid oil country of California and not the hills of Tennessee, with two of the finest living practitioners of the genre paying tribute to the masters of the craft and their genre-shaping material.

This is an impressive first effort for the multi-talented Johns who is clearly determined to avoid spending his life in the shadows of others.

This terrific batch of songs needs no such handicap to be recommended as a perfect way for newcomers to start a musical relationship with Clark’s burnished Americana or for existing fans to continue theirs.

LaFarge’s slight country drawl and understated twang nails the ’20s period the music evokes, and the effort is even more rewarding than Diana Krall’s recent endeavor in the same genre.

For all of its immediate sonic beauty, however, IE//CM’s slow, languid reveal requires patience and time to get acclimated.

The Ballad of Boogie Christ weaves beautiful narratives in and out of folksy numbers and rock songs, adding a layered palette of horn solos and soulful back-up singers.

Hawthorne mines polyester grooves, crackly sample beds and rich, analog production for his vintage soul sound, and it’s a wonderfully sumptuous thing.

Casual listeners will probably wish Folds had used his obviously impressive improvising skills a bit more. But as the audience reaction here indicates and die hard fans will undoubtedly concur with, anything that floats their boat out to Folds island is a good trip.

With its passionate embrace of multiple genres and sheer musicianship, Inheritance places the The Last Bison on the cusp of much bigger things.

While the blueprint of starting songs with sparse accompaniment and gradually building to resounding sing-along levels isn’t exactly fresh, the music is so well written that it avoids sounding like a cliché.

It’s an excellent way for new fans to have a pure entryway to their music, and the only possible appetizer before diving into the extras that come next: some an acquired taste, some amazing snapshots in time and some quirky bits that will probably only get a nostalgic spin or two.

Tape Deck Heart [is] the kind of album that doesn’t just tell us what it feels like to have your heart cut out, it practically puts us on the operating table during the surgery – which, of course, happens before the anesthesia kicks in. And he does it so well, we willingly bleed right along with him.

Nile delivers one of his finest and most passionate projects with American Ride.

All of this makes for a satisfying comeback for a cult artist who has several cults anxiously waiting his return. Those fans will no doubt love Dear Mark J Mulcahy, I Love You. Newcomers used to straight-line songs might want to try it out as well, because they might be surprised at how refreshing it is when a songwriter reaches his destination zig-zagging all the way.

An album that’s probably not as good as The Front Bottoms are bound to get, but is just fine for right now.

His keen insights into human nature and today’s America are revealed in melodic, deeply-felt tunes on Still Fighting The War, which ranks as one of the year’s best singer-songwriter albums.

It’s a terrific and enriching listen, especially with headphones, where the singer’s supple voice and imaginative lyrics along with Martine’s sympathetic production dovetail with an effortless grace.

This album is harrowing and not for the timid, but those who stick with it will be treated to a truthful, moving journey and a master class in songwriting to boot.

There aren’t any future gems here on the order of “Paranoid” or the immortal “Iron Man” but these songs could have been album tracks on any of the band’s early recordings.

Everything is wrapped up in a breathless half hour and except for titles that aren’t quite as controversial as the immortal “I’m Not a Sicko, There’s a Plate in My Head,” this makes similar groups such as the veteran Fleshtones sound like Taylor Swift.

Removed from the plot, the edgy swamp/country music score doesn’t connect with the powerful and gripping intensity of the show.

The remastered sound for this spiffed up reboot is a big improvement over the previous one. The extras on the various editions, especially the Wings Over the World doc with fan interviews, backstage shenanigans and offstage prep for the shows, help bring the 1976 experience to life for a new generation, shameless nostalgia and all.

There aren’t many groups whose fifth album is as riveting as their first, but there also aren’t many groups with a vision as clear, focused and defined as that of Camera Obscura. And with Campbell at the helm, five more of the same will be just as welcome.

Asher’s deft work provides breathing room between the instruments, Martin’s subtle playing leaves the showboating behind and the trio delivers a modest gem.

While there isn’t a strict cohesion tying the record’s ten tunes together sonically, an attempted theme would likely have distracted Maines in the effort to spread her wings and show off a bit. Offering up a stylistic sampler provides a portrait of an accomplished artist setting out on her own.

Both as a songwriter and as a performer, Laura Marling has never soared so majestically.