TITLE:“Grace Around the World” (LEGACY)

ARTIST: Jeff Buckley

STARS: 4 out of 5 Stars

SOUNDS LIKE: A mellower Robert Plant doing introspective rock.

TEXT: Once you hear Jeff Buckley’s voice you’ll never forget it. “Haunting” as a description is often overdone. But if I had to use one word to describe Buckely’s voice that’s the only one that would fit.

His is a plaintive, dreamily solemn voice, sort of like that a mournful banshee calling out from the foogy moors. A more earthly comparison would be a mix of Robert Plant and Enya.

Buckely’s songs also defy categorization. The lyrics are etherally deep and introspective and the sparse arrangments are folkish yet in a more grander sort of way.

“Grace Around the World” celebrates the 15th anniversary of Buckely’s 1994 debut album “Grace.”

The re-release comes in two packages. The standard package includes a DVD of Buckely’s previously unreleased TV performances and a CD. The deluxe version includes both the DVD and Cd plus a second DVD of the documentary “Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley.”

Buckley was a soaring star that faded too soon. He drowned May 29th 2007 after wading in the Mississippi River in Memphis fully clothed. He was 30 years old.

Buckley’s popularity was perhaps highest in Europe. In 2008 he was the best selling international catalog artist in France.

His was the rare voice that only comes along once in a great while.