Mockingbird Time, by the Jayhawks

Mark Olson and Gary Louris reunited for a duo record in 2008, but this is the first album they've made together with the Jayhawks in 16 years. The two harmonize like a countrified Simon and Garfunkel, and they write potent songs that stick to your synapses. The waltz-time ballad "Guilder Annie" and the up­tempo "She Walks in So Many Ways" showcase these gifts—along with a slipstream, jangling rhythm that makes this album a delight.