Artist Kathleen Edwards

It wasn’t just self-deprecation that prompted Kathleen Edwards to title her 2003 debut Failer. Sure, it bent the English language, but the word said all that needed saying about the album’s cast of characters, from the tragic lovers of “Six O’Clock News” to the frustrated protagonist of “One More Song The Radio Won’t Like.” But the album didn’t live up to its name in one crucial respect: It succeeded tremendously in announcing the Ottawa-based Edwards as a country-leaning singer and songwriter already operating in top form. 2005’s Back To Me and 2008’s Asking For Flowers soon followed, though Edwards’ newest, Voyageur—co-produced by none other than Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon—seems destined to finally make her a household name.

Updated 04/06/2012