No one splits the difference between archness and empathy quite like Paul Heaton. After the breakup of The Housemartins, he formed The Beautiful South as a vehicle for his wry satires, poignant character studies, and melodic perfection. The sunniness of the songcraft only underscores the sting of Heaton's writing. Even if you've yet to recognize him as one of modern pop's literary geniuses, there's sure to be something on our playlist to set your heart humming and toes tapping.