New Music from Martha Wainwright and Sam Phillips

Love Hurts

By Peter Terzian

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Sun-kissed faces, skimpy clothing, mercury rising—it may be the season for the sizzling summer fling, but two new albums nail the burn of love gone wrong: Sam Phillips's Don't Do Anything (Nonesuch), written after a wrenching divorce, and Martha Wainwright's title-says-it-all I Know You're Married but I've Got Feelings Too (Rounder). A primer.

MARTHA WAINWRIGHT

Who's who
Part of a distinguished folk family—you can hear shades of big brother Rufus in her breathtakingly elastic, eccentric voice.

Sounds like
An uninhibited yet elegant diary entry: big, messy emotions reined in just enough by intricate folk-rock arrangements

Brazenly lovelorn sample lyric
My heart was made for bleeding all over you.

Standout song
"You Cheated Me"

SAM PHILLIPS

Who's who
Pop-rock veteran and former wife of superproducer T-Bone Burnett, she's best known for her velvety vocals on the Gilmore Girls soundtrack.

Sounds like
The musical equivalent of a haunted-house ride: distorted guitars, thunderous drums, and oddball sound effects

Brazenly lovelorn sample lyric
The streets are so dark at night / and now they stay dark when it's light.

Standout song
"My Career in Chemistry"

From the July 2008 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine