Michael Franks’ ‘The Music In My Head’ continues his forty-five year tradition of delivering comfort music with intellect, wit and grace.

Keenly chiseled and immediately accessible, the Tol-Puddle Martyrs’ “One Drop In the Ocean” is a delightful slice of radio-friendly pop rock.

A newly unearthed demo reminds us of the genius of Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker, and what a huge loss we suffered with his death.

Golden Dawn Arkestra combines Sun Ra, psychedelia, Fela Kuti and Talking Heads’ ‘Remain in Light’-era sound, with a dash of disco and a bit of Flaming Lips-style spectacle.

The evolution of Chicago’s “Mississippi Delta City Blues” helps us chart the more personal evolution of Terry Kath as a songwriter, arranger and musician.

GospelbeacH’s “Dreamin'” is Laurel Canyon all over again. And I love it.

Al Green’s return-to-form ‘Lay It Down’ arrived a decade ago this month with new hip-hop producers and a bevy of guest R&B singers – but it was no sell out.

Glowing with beauty and lushness, Stephanie Angelini’s “A Secret Smile” whets the appetite for more great music.

Apart from his collaborator Arto Lindsay, Thiago Nassif’s ‘Três’ much unlike anything else you’re likely to hear from a very broadly defined pop realm that includes its rogue elements.

The underrated ‘Flavors of Entanglement,’ issued 10 years ago today, found Alanis Morissette in a moment of fearless introspection. Critics be damned.