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When words alone fail to illuminate the confounding mysteries of the heart, music lends a hand. Whether it's unrequited love, a fleeting affair or love that lasts a lifetime, there's a song for it. NPR listeners share "their" songs — along with the stories of bliss, bitterness and bygone times that make the music meaningful.

Lily Allen is pop star with a quick wit and a sharp tongue. After a string of hits in the United Kingdom last year, the 21-year-old artist has released her CD Alright, Still in America. She explains her creative process and inspiration.

Love seldom comes easy in Macy Gray's ballads. Betrayal, abandonment and even physical violence often pepper her songs, as she offers vivid accounts of love affairs that sometimes seem too real for comfort. On "Strange Behavior," she dives into a lurid melodrama.

Country music singer Charlie Louvin and his brother Ira Louvin were regulars at the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s. Charlie Louvin has just released his first studio work in over a decade, featuring Elvis Costello, George Jones, Will Oldham, Jeff Tweedy and more.

Singer-songwriter James McMurtry visits NPR's studios to play from his 12-string guitar and discuss politics, family and his latest album Childish Things.

LCD Soundsystem's new album, called Sound of Silver, broadens the project's sound to make singer-writer-producer James Murphy's rhythms even more accessible.

Beach House's sleepy "Saltwater" never feels weary or tiresome. Instead, it floats along in a wispy haze of skittering drumbeats that rise and fall like heartbeats. As Victoria Legrand sings, "Love you all the time / even though you're not mine," her voice sounds powerful and stripped bare.

Tom Manoff reviews the CD by violinist Joshua Bell called Voice and Violin. He says the CD explores some famous pieces in classical music — like "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak and Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise" — that take on the lyrical play between fiddle and voice.

Andy Trudeau offers his annual take on Oscar-nominated scores. A diverse, international lineup this year has him pleasantly surprised.

Spring Awakening is winning critical praise as a fresh interpretation of the Broadway musical. Based on a 19th-century play, the angst-ridden teen musical defies convention by dealing with tough topics and raw adolescent feelings.