Recollection

Since 2006s Reintarnation chronicled k.d. langs alt-country beginnings, there was a need for a compilation that focused on her smoky prime, the recordings from Ingénue on, the recordings that turned her into a crossover star. Recollection, available as either a double-disc or a deluxe set that expands that pair with a disc of live recordings and a DVD of music videos, does just that, painting a portrait of lang the modern-day torch singer. In doing so, it repeats a little of Reintarnation, but even those tunes dont quite possess the wild, almost campy retro-swing of langs early years. Nothing about Recollection is camp: this is all smooth and assured, accentuating langs nuance if not her range, and if this winds up being a little too streamlined, at least it offers a better overall introduction to langs music than her previous compilation. Stephen Thomas Erlewine.