Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

When it comes to venting, no one beats Morissette. “She has this super-massive, planet-eating emotional range,” says her producer Guy Sigsworth (Bjork, Madonna). Blending tablas, strings, techno and hip-hop beats, Morissette’s latest tackles past relationships and inner turmoil on songs like the raging, expletive-filled “Straightjacket” and the intensely confessional ballad “Not As We,” about hitting what she calls “rock bottom.” Catharsis is followed by closure on final track, “Incomplete,” which looks ahead to happier times. June 10

Recorded in the Montreal church owned by Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade’s sophomore release finds the shaggy quartet worshipping at the altar of experimentalism. Few of the album’s nine numbers bear resemblance to anything on Apologies to the Queen Mary, its shambolic predecessor. Songs like the cinematic “Fine Young Cannibals,” the Eastern-tinged “An Animal in Your Care” and the epic title track are tightly crafted works that have been polished into shiny improvisational gems. A brave, ambitious step forward. June 17 

For their fourth studio album, Chris Martin and company enlist the producers of their two favorite bands: U2’s Brian Eno and Arcade Fire’s Markus Kravs. A smart move: Eno brings an adventurous desert vibe to “Yes” and “42,” with their North African strings and percussion, while Kravs adds choirs and swelling church organ to songs like “Lost!” As usual, Martin mixes euphoric, sweeping pop with such darker, cautionary tales as “Cemeteries of London.” It all adds up to Coldplay’s biggest and boldest statement yet. June 17

Norah Jones discovered him and it seemed that Lee would be groomed as a male version of the laid-back chanteuse. But the Philly singer carved out his musical turf, blending Bill Withers and James Taylor influences into a pleasant soul-pop sound. And he made his own discovery: rising folk star Priscilla Ahn, now signed to the same Blue Note label. Lee’s latest finds him moving in a rock-oriented direction on edgy songs like “Listen” and “Truth.” And he turns rap evangelist on the inspired “Street Corner Preacher.” June 24

Great Big Sea albums are sometimes more rock than folk, but they’re always deeply Celtic. With Hawksley Workman at the production helm, you might think the Newfoundland boys would trade tradition for experimental—even glam-rock—flavors. Not so. Workman, clearly under the island’s spell, sticks with sea shanties, including Sean McCann’s exquisite “England,” and some poppier Celtic material. The exception is the hard-rocking “Oh Yeah,” with Alan Doyle channeling his inner Eddie Vedder. June 24

Rich in melodic and lyrical charms, Sexsmith songs have attracted interpreters in pop, Celtic and classical music. With this collection, the understated tunesmith could find his material covered by gospel and country artists. “Poor Helpless Dreams” has enough honky-tonk flavor to attract Nashville interest, while “Chased by Love” is a spiritual prison song that would’ve appealed to Johnny Cash. And Sexsmith’s piano instrumentals, one with stirring strings, sound like vintage parlour hymns or Stephen Foster ballads. July 8

Her soulful “Old Skool Love” paved the way for Jully Black’s “Seven Day Fool.” Now, with her eclectic sophomore album, Brown is ready to reclaim her crown as Canada’s most thrilling and versatile r&b diva. Blessed with a stunning five-octave voice, Brown can do it all—playful disco (“Body Slide”), romantic pop (“Sweet Surrender”) and sexy doo-wop (“You Shook Me”). But the standout track is the retro sizzler “Meet Me at the Roxy,” where Brown’s red-hot voice tears the roof off the dancehall she’s singing about.   Aug. 12

The gospel according to Delta Spirit is drawn from the scriptures of Woody Guthrie and Kurt Cobain. The San Diego band mixes Calexico-style Americana with a smells-like-Seattle brand of punk. And frontman Matt Vasquez sings with the soulfulness of a Baptist preacher. The group’s debut combines moody, folk-infused numbers like “House Built for Two” and “People, Turn Around” and rousing showstoppers like “Trashcan” and “People C’mon” that are guaranteed to set revival tents on fire. Be prepared to testify.

It’s something of a miracle that the chief Beach Boy is still capable of making music. Few expected the manic depressive genius to emerge from his sandbox and drug-addled stupor. So this ambitious song cycle, a mostly brilliant exploration of southern Californian culture that echoes both Pet Sounds and Smile, is a happy surprise. Its sun-kissed harmonies on songs like “Good Kind of Love” are tempered with darker numbers such as “Midnight’s Another Day,” which detail Wilson’s struggle with personal demons.

Crate-digging DJs searching for rare soul and funk breaks will devour this tasty compilation of tropical grooves. For everyone else, it’s an instant beach party. Vintage tracks by island acts like Marius Cultier, Gemini Brass and Clarence Curvan & His Mod Sounds offer saucy horns, hard-to-resist rhythms and easy-to-follow Creole chants. There’s also a sampling of Afro, Latin and steel pan workouts and some soulful reggae from Jamaica’s Tyrone Taylor and Antigua’s Wadadli Experience. Get down in the sand.