You've done some great diving again. I don't know those two Porter albums they get good reviews on AllMusic. The ones I know the best are a few of his duets with Dolly (and before that with Norma Jean), and his albums about the down-and-out, which may be maudlin but imo are sincere in their look at people often ignored by popular music. "What Ain't to Be, Just Might Happen" is one of the subtler concept albums of his and highly recommended.

Have you ever considered country murder ballads for your Southern Gothic class? (Porter has a few of those as well.)