“Fish swim. Birds fly. Daddies yell. Mamas cry. Old men sit and think. I drink.” Anybody who’s ever liked the bottle a little too much will recognize these lyrics—which together constitute the chorus of the Mary Gauthier song “I Drink”—as a spot-on portrayal of addiction. Such is the poignancy the late-blooming Gauthier—a former Cajun chef and runaway whose past dalliances with controlled substances are well-documented—brings to each of her songs. Mercy Now, her “major” label debut on Lost Highway, was one of the most acclaimed releases of 2005, putting her in the ring with Hall-of-Fame yarn-spinners like Lucinda Williams and earning Bob Dylan’s admiration. Her follow-up, Between Daylight and Dark, is good but not as good, saddling Gauthier with the same sort of burden Williams has had to deal with since Car Wheels on a Gravel Road—namely, that it’s pretty tough to improve upon perfection. With Mark Olson (of the Jayhawks). Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 8 p.m. $18 adv./$20. MIKE SEELY

Thu., Feb. 7, 8 p.m., 2008