Album of the Week: Kathleen Edwards – Voyageur

Leg-ups can be the making of some careers. Canadian songstress Kathleen Edwards has been making a name for herself in an unfussy fashion for the last decade with her last record Asking for Flowers being nominated for her home country’s Polaris Prize in 2008 (eventually losing out to Caribou).

But things feel different this time. A lot of that may have to do with the involvement of one Justin Vernon a.k.a Bon Iver, who, not content with hauling Ms Edwards out on tour for a run of sell-out shows, has produced her fourth album, Voyageur.

And it’s delightful.

Vernon’s pawprints – such as the rumbling guitars and military drums on A Soft Place to Land, more than reminiscent of Perth – are occasionally audible, but he’s not the only guest on the album.

However, aside from the familiar vocals of Norah Jones on For The Record, it’s hard to detect the involvement of other luminaries like British folk-pop foursome Stornoway, demonstrating that this is very much Edwards’ album.

Lyrically, the themes of Canuck disillusionment, a hangover from …Flowers are picked up again from the off on Empty Threat, as our narrator warns of “moving to America” over the fast-paced opener.

Change the Sheets is an obvious single with big melodies and a poppy arrangement but not everything here takes an easy path. The guitar sound on Mint is coarse as sandpaper and the bleak Going to Hell could have sat on For Emma, Forever Ago, and is appropriately maudlin.

The aforementioned For the Record closes Voyageur – simply French (Canadian?) for traveller by the way – and as you would imagine, given Jones’ involvement it’s a downbeat slowie, but at the same time, arguably the album’s high point. “For the record, I only wanted to sing songs,” indeed.

We caught a word with Kathleen this week.

Welcome back, Kathleen, it feels like a while since we’ve heard from you! What have you been up to since Asking for Flowers was released?

Herding cats, moving cities, writing a new album, picking my nose, but mostly just recording and writing a record.   
 

Bon Iver has been a significant figure for you in the last year or so – how did the collaboration come about?

We started out as email friends and before too long we were talking about recording some songs together. And then when it seemed like that was ridiculously fun and amazing, I ended up doing my whole record with Justin Vernon.

What have been the key inspirations for Voyageur – both lyrically and musically?

Musically I’d say the inspiration was to be more adventurous than I had been before. All the people who played on this record were so instrumental (pardon the pun) in shaping how the songs developed sonically, but I did have an initial goal to really delve more into musical territory that I loved esthetically but hadn’t yet achieved on record. Lyrically, the album is obviously very personal, which is a blessing and a curse. It feels good to stand up on stage and feel like the honesty of your work is intact, but some of the material crosses over into a difficult period of my last few years and there are days where you’d like to not be reminded of it. 

Finally, can we expect to see you back on UK shores soon?

Yes.  Thank God the Internet exists to help answer the when and where.

Internet Schminternet. Kathleen’s UK dates are right here:

Feb 24, Glasgow Oran Mor (www.gigsinscotland.com)
Feb 26, Manchester Ruby Lounge (www.ticketline.co.uk)
Feb 27, Birmingham Glee Club (www.glee.co.uk)
Feb 28, London Islington Academy

Voyageur is out on January 23.