The world was perhaps just a little shook a decade back when cult singer/songwriter Randy Newman became Disney-Pixar’s de facto house songwriter. Who could figure the auteur of the “unreliable narrator,” who sang in the voices of slave traders and short-people-haters, would end up scoring films under Mickey Mouse’s banner? That’s nothing compared to what Sony Pictures has pulled. Yep, it’s Paul Westerberg making the music for a kid’s movie. While he winked and nudged at his soundtrack possibilities in his first post-Replacements outing when he added a pair of songs to Cameron Crowe’s grunge-era dating dissection Singles, the beer-sodden punk poet providing the musical backdrop for a cartoon picture about animals in the woods is a whole other matter. Though Westerberg’s cycle of songs here smacks of “writing for assignment” and the occasional overproduction wears thins in spots, it still shows the indelible marks of fuzzy guitar austerity and the hard-won wit central to the Twin Cities bar bard. “Love You in the Fall” is a perfectly stripped powerpop killer kin to much of Westerberg’s recent solo work, while the spare piano ballad “I Belong” is a pretty, wry downer. “Right to Arm Bears” is a short and sharp punk blockbuster with a flu-catchy hook, slashing rhythms and a chunky riffs. The sadsack beauty of “Whisper Me Luck” puts it right in line with songs like “Here Comes a Regular” and “Skyway.” In an interesting twist, Pete Yorn and Cake side project Deathray are also found on Open Season performing Westerberg’s compositions. Talking Head’s imitable “Once in a Lifetime” also figures.

“I’ve known you from somewhere I was just falling through,” notes Richard Buckner on “Window,” from his eighth proper album. For Meadow, Buckner has paired with producer J.D. Foster for the first time since 1997’s Devotion + Doubt, considered by many to be Buckner’s best work and a record from alt.country’s finest hour. And Meadow is his most robust, fully realized record since. Buckner’s songwriting has never flagged but in instances his records have proved unable to do the songs their full justice. (2002’s Impasse, for example, was solid but found Rick self-producing and playing all of the instruments, and thus lacking that certain spark of collaboration.) This time around, in addition to Foster, who also adds bass, he’s pulled in former Guided by Voices/Cobra Verde/Death of Samantha guitar wiz Doug Gillard along with drummers Kevin March (also Guided by Voices) and Steve Goulding (Mekons) to be part of the band. Buckner has mastered his concise, Texas-bred, high lonesomeness, whereby he’s always conveyed a certain intensity offset by his deep, laidback voice, and it sounds great here. “Town” is a ripping taste of guitar-blasted indie rock while “Kingdom,” with a pounding hoofbeat rhythm, meditates on the nature of time and the burdens that hang down. Buckner’s poetic chops and unmistakable voice are on prime display. With such a great band helping to carry the weight, Meadow is a winner.