New and Notable

Emmylou Harris, “Red Dirt Girl,” Nonesuch. Harris wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs, and she conveys the same artistic grace and penetrating observation that she has previously found in the works of other writers.

Madonna, “Music,” Warner Bros./Maverick. Madonna still can’t escape some of the vocal anonymity that often accompanies dance-oriented workouts, but there are moments when she demonstrates, both as a writer and a singer, that the creative advances in “Ray of Light” were no fluke.