Emmylou Harris

Hard Bargain (Nonesuch)

Nashville’s harmony constant wrote/co-wrote all but two of the 13 tracks on her latest career high, though the Ron Sexsmith cover titling Hard Bargain demands its very own songbook. Gram Parsons (“The Road”) and “Darlin’ Kate” McGarrigle bookend the album’s touring musician’s lament (“Home Sweet Home”), from Southern Gothic (“My Name Is Emmett Till”) to a Raising Sand-like spell (“Six White Cadillacs”).

***.5

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.