A no-holds-barred excursion into rollicking folk, neo-bluegrass, and ersatz-rockabilly, National Ransom distinguishes itself from recent predecessors by sheer dint of the quality of the material, which ranges from the stunning pop moves of “The Spell That You Cast” to the stripped-down comi-tragedy of “A Slow Drag With Josephine.” Like Tom Waits, Costello is able to parlay his remarkable mastery of the various forms of 20th century music into something distinct and original.