Kathleen Edwards 'Voyageur' is too happy An overall sense of melancholy usually outlines a singer-songwriter's body of work. Listeners often embrace more upbeat work and fuller sounds, but Kathleen Edwards' latest album, "Voyageur," pushes the envelope too far. Justin Vernon, Bon Iver frontman and Edwards' boyfriend, produced the album. And although Vernon's influence on the album is definitely pronounced - both in fuller arrangements and his contributing vocals - the album is still her own (but no one should complain about Vernon's guitar work on "Voyageur.") Thematically, the album is cohesive, but it can also be broken into two completely separate parts. The beginning of the album details the crumbling of her marriage to former collaborator Colin Cripps. It is a series of melancholy vignettes that bear no resemblance to one another. It's a soft sleeper that gets lost among the growing array of female powerhouses. But starting with "Sidecar," the album's tone picks up. Edwards' storytelling turns into a narrative of new love, where she and Vernon "will be sidecars, there to chase down the hard stuff." While it is good that Edwards has found a new voice, the sentiment behind her new romance is charming for maybe one song, not half an album. And in the album's opener, "Empty Threat," Edwards, a Canadian, veers off into Americana that is nowhere to be found on the rest of the album. It works in the context of her previous albums, which have fallen on the alt-country side, but doesn't fit in with the rest of "Voyageur." "Voyageur" is a step in the right direction for Edwards' solo work, but it feels too scattered and becomes boring by the end. A few songs are worth keeping, namely "Mint" and "Going to Hell." It's a record you want to like - it's deliberate and Edwards is very forthcoming in her storytelling - but you just can't. Katie Fennelly Daily Nebraskan				Album reviews Feature articles Interviews Show reviews