Ghosts surround the Canadian rock band Cowboy Junkies – musical ghosts and thematic ghosts as well as historical ghosts.

The dark whispers of lead singer Margo Timmins have long defined the group’s sound, along with brother Michael’s spectral guitar work and songwriting. The net effect of going through their nearly 40-year-old catalogue is to walk among the spirits.

And yet the band’s career has been relatively sunny – a track from their second album, back in 1989, made their career. It was a striking reinterpretation, a ruminative, whispery take on the Velvet Underground’s Sweet Jane . Flash forward to now and the band continues delivering unique takes on covers well-known and obscure, even as Michael’s own songwriting consistently created tracks worthy to stand with them.

Keeping it

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