An Evening with Cowboy Junkies

Since the mid-’80s and over the course of more than 15 studio albums, Canadian rock traditionalists Cowboy Junkies have established themselves as a band of nifty contradictions: They’re rustic but polished, soft-spoken but commanding, crafting intimate songs that express, to quote curmudgeonly critic Robert Christgau, a “vague specificity.” That observation was intended as a barb, and it’s not entirely inaccurate, but it’s also not a bad thing. The quartet, fronted by expressive singer Margo Timmins, had hits in their native country with memorable singles like “A Common Disaster,” “Angel Mine” and “Anniversary Song,” but they’ve mostly remained a cult property in America, due partly to their inclusion on the soundtracks of Pump Up the Volume and Natural Born Killers. Perhaps it’s time for you to discover them if you haven’t already.