Invincible Summer
k.d. lang may still go lowercase, butInvincible Summeris Love-struck with a capital L. Following in the footsteps of the multiplatinumIngénueand the underappreciatedAll You Can Eat, the singer's first album of original material since 1995 displays her hyperromantic side. Inventive production by Damian Le Gassick places lang's rich vocals in settings that meld electric and acoustic guitar lines, harpsichords, string arpeggios, and various aural bachelorette-pad accoutrements. The record's overwhelmingly smitten tone sweeps the listener along, making even silly sentiments like "In this crazy world full of lemons / Baby, you're lemonade" sound just right. The vividness of emotion on display here, along with the smart retro-modern sound, make this one you'll listen to long past September.--Rickey Wright