Sarah McLachlan haunts me. Her songs — usually the tearjerkers — fall from out of nowhere to flood my ears in times of personal crisis.

A few days ago I heard “Angel” on two stations on the drive to work and then again while on hold for an important phone call.

It’s interesting how so many men confide in women singer/songwriters. Sarah, Jewel, Tori, whoever — you’d be surprised how many guys have spent an evening in the dark, listening to these women.

Personally, I prefer to turn my ears to men singer/songwriters when I need a filter for life’s perils.

There’s something about hearing a man empty his heart into a song that is more powerful and honest than hearing a woman.

The problem with men singer/songwriters, or at least the reason you don’t hear more about them, is that they are not marketed to nearly the extent that women are.

A guy singing “I’m an asshole” is simply not as marketable as Meredith Brooks singing “I’m a bitch.”

But, there are many amazing men singer/songwriters who have experienced the same pain as Tori and the same ironies as Alanis.

It is my pleasure to introduce you to them:

Elliott Smith

If you couldn’t pull yourself from your seat at the closing credits of “Good Will Hunting” because the music had you captivated, then you’ve already experienced the vigor of Elliott Smith.

He’s the voice behind the soundtrack and the man who mesmerized a drifting audience at the Oscars two years ago.

He may not have won a trophy (that damn Celine Dion), but he won over the music critics, many of whom named Smith’s debut “XO” one of the best records of ’98.

Lyrical sample: “She appears composed, so she is, I suppose/ I’m never gonna know you now, but I’m gonna love you anyhow.” [“XO”]

Wes Cunningham

Wes Cunningham’s cleverly titled “12 Ways To Win People To Your Way Of Thinking” is the kind of record that burns a hole into your CD player.

With every listen, I discover a new phrase or metaphor that I repeat a few times in my head and say, “Damn, that’s good.”

Cunningham’s songs are like horoscopes — they always seem to apply to something in your life and they always inspire you to do something a little different every day.

Lyrical sample: “My heart is for sale/ It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.” [“Bad Way”]

Gus

This guy’s all about the classic singer/songwriter tradition, drawing inspiration from Cat Stevens and Carole King.

On his self-titled debut, he played every instrument and produced the entire record. His latest, “Word Of Mouth Parade,” is with a little help from his friends, but still manages to serve up a man’s heart on a 4-inch shiny plastic platter.

Lyrical sample: “Out on a road between nowhere and hell/ I caught a glimpse of my reflection in you.” [“Gravity”]

Jason Falkner

Former frontman of the cool alt-rock band Jellyfish, Jason Falkner went solo in 1996 with “Jason Falkner Presents Author Unknown,” and the critics went wild.

His latest, “Can You Still Feel?” is a commentary on society and how the simple act of feeling can sometimes get lost in the scuffle.

Falkner’s style is pop-rock, but with a thick thread of singer/songwriter emotion woven in.

Lyrical sample: “Life can be just like a painting full of wonderful strangeness/ With colors so vibrant you’ll feel like you should look away.” [“See You Again”]

Bill White Acre

Good luck finding this indie-label junkie, whose “Billy’s Not Bitter” debut was sparsely released on Touchwood Records.

A true hidden treasure, Bill White Acre’s secret is that he really is bitter. (Singer/songwriters love to lace their record titles with irony.)

He puts Alanis to shame and has fun doing it.

Lyrical sample: “I am the sun, the center of my world/ Radiant and sparkling and warm.”

In a column about men singer/songwriters it would be a sin not to give nods to Paul Westerberg, Bob Mould and Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin, whose solo acoustic project “American Lesion” is a gem.

Men have feelings too, and these guys are out to prove it.

---

Corey Moss is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.