A Dozen Years

Faithfull's final album of the 1960s (she would do one more single, in 1969) was a confused, patchy effort that seemed indicative of musical directionless. There was overblown, orchestrated straight pop (the cover of the Beatles' "Yesterday"), numbers where she seemed to be attempting to be a British Edith Piaf of sorts, and covers of contemporary folk-rock tunes by Donovan and Tim Hardin. Also, a couple of the better songs ("This Little Bird" and "Counting") had long been available on singles, from 1965 and 1966, respectively. This would have been categorized as "eclectic" rather than "directionless" if the material had been better, the arrangements more inspired, and the singing more commanding, but that wasn't the case on any of those counts. There are still some enjoyable bits, like the cover of "Young Girl Blues," and particularly the version of Jackie DeShannon's moody "With You in Mind." At the time, it was likely seen as something to fill in the gaps in the absence of better material.

A dozen years have passed since Nina Simone left us, yet it’s taken until now for a substantial tribute album to emerge. Making up for lost time, this 10-track import pays superlative homage to the singularly vibrant Simone in all her musical hues. Welcomingly, Round Nina is more a voyage of discovery than an exercise in backwards glancing. Recorded in Paris, in settings ranging from sparse to orchestral, the collection features an international array of vocalists, many of whom will be revelations to most Stateside listeners.

From the author of The Hidden Lives of Owls, an exploration of the elusive lives of whales in the Pacific Ocean, home to orcas, humpbacks, sperm, blue, and gray whales.