CD reviews 10/11: Lisa Hannigan and 'The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams'

COUNTRY: Various artists, "The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams" (Egyptian/Columbia)

The forefather of sad-sack country doesn't appear on this recording in physical voice, but his spirit looms in his lyrics that were used as the basis for these 12 tracks sung by a variety of kindred weepers and moaners, including Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, Norah Jones, Lucinda Williams and Jack White.

Dylan helped spearhead these songs to completion, and his raggedy contribution, "The Love That Faded," is one of the best. Set to a barroom waltz, his ravaged voice lends authority to a line like, "My love was wasted, I'm paying the cost." His son, Jakob Dylan, finds the sweet spot between fingerpicked lullaby and sorrowful pleading on "Oh, Mama, Come Home."

The Dylan family isn't the only musical brood represented here; Holly Williams, the granddaughter of Williams Sr., turns in a heartfelt "Blue Is My Heart," though her father's bloated baritone in the background almost threatens the song's delicate balance.

Some of the singers struggle with adding fullness to lyrics that could sound overly simplistic in the wrong hands, but the legacy of Williams seems most alive, in almost a ventriloquist form, in Alan Jackson's "You've Been Lonesome, Too." Amid trotting rhythms and aching fiddle and steel guitar, Williams himself seems to be present, tipping his hat in respect before he disappears into the amber sunset once again.

MARGARET WAPPLER, LOS ANGELES TIMES

POP/ROCK: Lisa Hannigan, "Passenger" (ATO)

There's a moment here that might bring chills to those familiar with the Irish singer. As the track "Knots" plays out, it gets ever more tightly wound, and the singer builds into a soulful outburst, the likes of which might rattle those who've grown accustomed to her traditional soft etherealism. It's a significant coming-into-her-own for the indie-pop performer, for years a gentle backing vocalist for the brooding Damien Rice. In 2009, Hannigan finally released her solo debut, "Sea Sew," a sometimes-entrancing, offbeat form of chamber pop that suffered from Hannigan's seeming reticence at lead vocals.

Well, she's over her shyness. Not that Hannigan is warbling away like the next Katy Perry, but on "Passenger" she is confident and direct, and in a somewhat better mood than on the downbeat "Sea Sew." Hannigan emerges from the wobbly dissonance of "Home" with elegant vocal flips and a stately stream of "ohs." Her earthy Irish folk sound, featuring ample strings, stokes the warmth for her newfound prominence -- a low hum on "A Sail," for example, and horns for the homespun title track. Also, Hannigan teams up with Ray LaMontagne for the insomniac's prayer "O Sleep," issuing lyrics like "O sleep, come for me/I will go quietly."

Hannigan captures all the endearment of "Sea Sew" and adds vibrancy to generate renewed enthusiasm for the underappreciated singer. "Passenger" is worth the ride.