New music: 'Lost on the River' with Dylan's lyrics; River City Extension

Various artists, "Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes" (Harvest)

Producer T Bone Burnett was offered, out of the blue, a batch of lyrics Bob Dylan wrote in 1967, when he and the Band were recording what became known as "The Basement Tapes." To turn them into songs, Burnett sent the lyrics to songwriters — Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. This project could have easily capsized under self-consciousness and the weight of Dylan's legacy. But the personalities of the songwriters push through: Mumford's plaintive earnestness, James' dreamy absorption, Goldsmith's humble storytelling and Costello's cynical grit. Giddens is the album's revelation, singing Celtic melodies with a decisive presence and a haunting grace.

JON PARELES, New York Times