PAUL SIMON So Beautiful or So What [Hear Music/Concord] Elvis Costello, himself no stranger to conveying hard-won wisdom in song, pretty much nails it in his liner notes for Paul Simon’s first new album in five years: “This is a man in full possession of all his gifts, looking at the comedy and beauty of life with clarity and the tenderness bought by time.” Simon’s solo output has always been erratic, a zigzag of indisputable landmarks, most... 

ELVIS COSTELLO National Ransom [Hear Music] Elvis Costello has touched on a wide variety of genres during his career, but he usually sticks with one style at a time. On National Ransom, he finally blends two of his distinct artistic modes into one. Last year’s Secret, Profane & Sugarcane featured a band of Nashville acoustic-music ringers, who here are joined by Costello’s longtime rock outfit, the Imposters. The combination is a versatile...