From the posthumous arrangement of Woody Guthrie's unsung lyrics to the hills-n-hollers crooning of Gillian Welch, it's a rich time for folk traditionalists, old and new. Perhaps the brightest light on folk's near horizon, England's Kate Rusby has released two albums, both filled with crystalline renditions of powerful songs, many dating from the Medieval period. Hourglass, her debut, offers Rusby's sweet-toned voice, a rogue's gallery of talented instrumentalists, and a bushel of magical tunes, from the playful "Jolly Plough Boys" to the aching "I Am Stretched on Your Grave."

Harold Check