Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

A lot can change in four years—especially in the music world. In 2008, when Kathleen Edwards released her album Asking for Flowers, the Ottawa native was known primarily for story songs about other characters, some drawn from real-life headlines, and an alt-country sound she shaped with her husband, guitarist Colin Cripps. Fast forward to 2012: Edwards has a brave new album, Voyageur, made up almost entirely of first-person narratives and an engaging sound steeped in multi-textured pop that owes a good deal to its U.S. producer, Justin Vernon, also known as ethereal electronic folk star Bon Iver, who just happens to be her new boyfriend. Sitting on a park bench overlooking the Toronto skylin...

Her aptly titled fourth album finds the Canadian songbird journeying into new waters. Having split with guitarist-husband Colin Cripps, who helped shape her alt-country sound, Edwards has co-produced her latest CD with boyfriend Justin Vernon, also known as Grammy-winning star Bon Iver. Marital discord is reflected in “Change the Sheets” and “House Full of Empty Rooms,” while a fresh, multi-textured pop sound can be heard on the peppy “Sidecar” and the dreamy epic “For the Record,” sung with Norah Jones.

Edwards’ songs are compelling, character-rich short stories—think of her as the Alice Munro of Canadian pop. Previously, Edwards has crafted gritty police dramas like “In State” and “Six O’Clock News.” Here, she offers tales of draft dodgers (“Oil Man’s War”), childhood fears (“Scared at Night”) and a mother’s lessons to her daughter (the poignant “Run”). But Edwards is also adept at dealing with real-life subject matter: her stark song about a murdered Ontario woman, “Alicia Ross,” packs an emotional wallop.