Music from West Memphis Three film haunts

LITTLE ROCK — Various artists

West of Memphis:Voices for Justice

Legacy

A

This is an often moving collection of covers and original songs from and inspired by West of Memphis: Voices for Justice, the latest documentary about the West Memphis Three. Also included are readings, by Henry Rollins and Johnny Depp, of two letters written by Damien Echols from his death row cell.

Natalie Maines gives a chilling performance of Pink Floyd’s “Mother,” Lucinda Williams offers a slinky, swampy version of “Joy,” and Depp, with Bruce Witkin as Tonto’s Giant Nuts, covers Mumford & Sons’ “Little Lion Man.” Others showing up are Eddie Vedder, Bob Dylan, Marilyn Manson, Band of Horses, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Camp Freddy and Citizen Cope.

“Anything Made of Paper,” written by Bill Carter about a prison visit to Echols, is haunting and gorgeous. “Innocence is stricken without an ounce of proof,” he sings.

The biggest surprise, however, is White Buffalo’s tender and heart-crushing interpretation of “House of Pain,” the ’80s-era heavy metal power ballad from Faster Pussycat about a boy whose father has abandoned him. It was a song Echols apparently listened to often while on death row, and this version reveals how truly raw and bitter the tune is.

While Echols and his co-defendants Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin are now free, there is nothing really celebratory here (except, perhaps, Camp Freddy’s faithful cover of David Bowie’s “Jean Genie” and Manson’s gothy-camp version of “You’re So Vain”). The specter of the trio’s lost years in prison and the murders of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers, who were all 8 years old when they were killed, is never far away.

Which is the point.

Hot tracks: “Mother,”“House of Pain,” “Anything Made of Paper.”

• SEAN CLANCY

Jose James

No Beginning, No End

Blue Note

A-

Jose James’ latest, like Robert Glasper’s Black Radio, explores the intersection among jazz, rhythm-and blues, pop and hip-hop. This distillation hangs on James’ sensual and alluring voice, ringing with confidence and emotion. Hints of Billie Holiday surface in his phrasing, which is never rushed.

On the wondrous ballad “Tomorrow,” as James finishes singing “now it seems that I’m alone,” the piano falls away and we are left with silence to underscore the song’s emotional impact. This album uses silence skillfully, giving listeners a moment to reflect. The jazzy “Do You Feel” has wonderful piano work by Kris Bowers. Unexpected touches include Moroccan percussion and djembe drum on “Sword + Gun.”

Along with Glasper and Bowers, the band includes bassist Pino Palladino, one of the album’s producers who also has played on recordings by D’Angelo and Erykah Badu. No Beginning is fresh, it’s not predictable, and that’s a very good thing.

Hot tracks: “Tomorrow,” James’ duet with Emily King on “Heaven on the Ground,” “Do You Feel,” the jumpin’ “It’s All Over Your Body.”

• ELLIS WIDNER

Carrie Rodriguez

Give Me All You Got

Ninth Street Opus

B

Carrie Rodriguez’s voice is coffeehouse small, but it’s a distinct instrument - raspy, yet sweet and penetrating. The Texas native, who started playing violin at age 5, joined movie star Jeff Bridges for a tour last year.

Give Me All You Got is a quirky folk/country/blues album that is clearly comfortable in its own skin as it ambles through tunes that are mostly backed by acoustic instruments. “Brooklyn,” a bare-bones tale of Rodriguez’s years enduring “the Red Hook heat and the Brooklyn haze,” is the most specific and best tune. The rest have a musical imprint that aches for sharper lyrics to lift them up and over.

Hot tracks: “Brooklyn,” “Devil in Mind (Instrumental).”

• WERNER TRIESCHMANN

Various artists

2013 Grammy Nominees

Capitol

B

If you’re a fan of the Now That’s What I Call Music compilations, this 22-song collection of current Grammy Award nominees could be very appealing. It’s an eclectic set that includes pop smashes such as Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger,” Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” and Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know”; Frank Ocean’s wonderful “Pyramids,” rockers such as Jack White’s “ Freedom at 21” and folkies Mumford & Sons’ “I Will Wait.”

The Grammy Awards will be telecast at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 on CBS.

Hot tracks: “Stronger,” “Pyramids,” The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey.”

• ELLIS WIDNER

Rayland Baxter

Feathers &Fishhooks

ATO

B-

Newcomer Rayland Baxter has a singing voice that is instantly distinctive - a conversational rasp that is clear and powerful. For this set (which falls somewhere between folk and country), Baxter has a low-wattage backing band that paints in an unfussy way with pedal steel, mandolins and accordions, among other instruments.

One wishes Baxter could have farmed out the lyric duties; most of what’s here is romantic fluff. He sings at one point that he’s just “a boy in this crazy world.” Uh-huh.

Maybe that is why it seems to take forever to get through this otherwise tuneful album.

Hot track: “Olivia.”

• WERNER TRIESCHMANN