While honoring the centennial of Woody Guthrie’s birth, John McCutcheon finds renewed meaning in the folk legend’s songs of struggle and hope. This Land: Woody Guthrie’s America goes beyond typical tribute-album perimeters by interspersing lesser-known (and newly discovered) works with classic tunes and sprucing them up them with unexpected arrangements. A folk artist of 40 years’ standing, McCutcheon brings the gravitas of a veteran troubadour to the project, hitting the right note of outrage mixed with pathos on “1913 Massacre,” “Deportees,” and similar protest standards. He likewise catches the playfulness in “Howjadoo” and the visionary optimism in “Pastures of Plenty.” Willie Nelson, Tom Paxton, and Maria Muldaur (among others) join in on a rousing rendition of “This Land Is Your Land,” driving home the project’s defiantly uplifting tone. Such folk and bluegrass luminaries as Tim O’Brien, Stuart Duncan, and John Jennings add their instrumental prowess. Guthrie’s music is strikingly relevant to today’s hard times, something McCutcheon captures in these finely wrought tracks.