Contemporary Singer/Songwriters

These aren't your parents' singer-songwriters. Contemporary troubadours learned the lessons of Neil, Joni, et al., and threw them into a fresh, modern mix where everything from folk to punk is fair game, Norah Jones' 2002 debut soothed a post-9/11 world's jangled nerves with sweet, mellow jazz-pop tunes like the breezy "Come Away With Me" — and became one of the best selling albums ever. John Mayer added a dash of R&B to the singer-songwriter recipe, flying a flag of hope with the bluesy-but-upbeat head-nodder "Waiting On the World to Change." And for those who like something truly unique, check out the way Joanna Newsom lays a halting, haunting vocal over her otherworldly harp on "Sawdust & Diamonds." Our minstrels nod deferentially to the greats who preceded them, in Next Steps.

For all their originality, today's singer-songwriters haven't forgotten the bold balladeers who came before them. If you think you hear a trace of U.K. folk-rock queen Sandy Denny in Beth Orton's "Stolen Car," you're right, but Orton updates that influence with the loping trip-hop syncopation and the occasional Britpop guitar splash. The sorrowful spirit of original alt-country sinner/saint Gram Parsons permeates Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue," but it's shot through with an indie-rocker's attitude. And if you think you hear a hint of pre-glam Marc Bolan in the vocal quiver of Devendra Banhart ("Lover"), then we'd be inclined to agree with you. We highlight some of the most distinctive vocalists among this talented bunch, in Deep Cuts.

The current crop of singer-songwriters doesn't neglect the singer side of the equation; they've got voices that grab you by the soul and demand both your attention and your heart. Jesse Sykes' cracked, desert-dust whisper on "Eisenhower Moon" imparts the feeling that you're listening to a singer who exists outside of time as we measure it. Australia's Missy Higgins combines just the right amount of breathless passion and lower-range warmth on "Where I Stood," and if you never thought a Boston folkie's pipes could give Al Green a run for his money, think again as you absorb Martin Sexton's sexy, soulful tones on "Glory Bound."

Today's singer-songwriters are a wildly varied cast of characters — there are sweet-voiced chanteuses (Ingrid Michaelson, Dawn Landes) and down-home storytellers full of gravitas and grit (Kathleen Edwards, Laura Marling). Wily wordsmiths reeling off dizzying streams of poetic imagery (Brett Dennen) stand shoulder-to-shoulder with soul-slinging singers (Amos Lee) who deal in deceptively straightforward statements. The one thing they've all got in common is a rock-solid sense of their own individuality and a brightly blazing artistic identity that can't be ignored. So whether you're in the mood for some mellow, folk-flavoured coffeehouse vibes or slow-burning, funk-infected good-foot grooves, this is the place to meet a batch of fascinating new friends who've got their own, unique, unforgettable stories to tell.