Mission Bell

Amos Lee is a 32-year-old soul man with a voice that blends James Taylor and Bill Withers. Lee’s singing is both seductive and a little anonymous, his persona often dissolving into a tasteful mix of predictable lyrics and buttery timbres. For that reason, like his labelmate Norah Jones, Lee is a great foil, and the standouts on his chart-topping fourth album — cut with cowboy-mystic indie rockers Calexico providing moody backup — are the cameo tracks. Lucinda Williams is a trembling lover on “Clear Blue Eyes.” And on “Behind Me Now/El Camino (Reprise),” Willie Nelson drops in for a duet that’s whiskey and cool water: a perfect mix.  

Listen to “Out of the Cold”:

Gallery: The 20 Most Memorable Duets of All Time