Different Stripe

Different Stripe, a welcome best-of collection from Wheeler, offers 19 tracks that span the entirety of her 16-year recording career, including two songs from her 1986 eponymous debut released on the small folk label North Star Records. Wheeler is considered by many to be one of the finest songwriters of the "New Folk" era that developed in the 1980s, and, listening to Different Stripe, it's easy to hear why. She writes haunting and beautiful ballads that, when matched to her smoky, smooth vocals, are deeply affecting. Fans should note that there are two new tracks, "Walk Around Downtown" and "Gandhi/Buddha," among the "hits" here, which include "Addicted," a No. 1 country hit for Dan Seals, and "Aces," a country Top 10 for Suzy Bogguss. --Jim Caligiuri