Album: Allison Moorer, Crows (Rykodisc)

She made the two most soulful country-rock albums of the early 2000s and then drifted. Here she kicks further over the country traces and returns aboard a semi-acoustic pop-rock vehicle of some solemnity.

The voice is as compelling as ever, the arrangements grave enough to match the tone of the songs, which are, with few exceptions, riven with the language of authentic depression. Serious – and not always well-enough written – stuff. But it's worthy of your attention, especially if you ever had a thing for Dusty.