Grant-Lee Phillips, Virginia Creeper On his third solo album since disbanding cult rock band Grant Lee Buffalo, this rootsy troubadour continues to solidify his place in the upper tier of Americana. Backed by agile country-folk players, Phillips spins involving yarns over rustic yet graceful tunes with lean arrangements that place his soulful, slightly husky croon front and center. He's especially engaging on the spirited Calamity Jane, a stirring cover of Gram Parsons' Hickory Wind and the fiddle-fueled Susanna Little, an elaborate tale of prejudice. The energy wanes at times, but even at his most mellow and melancholy, this soulful balladeer has few rivals among celebrated newcomers in pop's singer/songwriter realm. — Edna Gundersen

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