Need for comparisons to others eludes singer kathleen edwards realizes she's been fortunate to establish herself as a musician. she's pleased with the recognition, pleased that her debut album "failer" was a success and that her sophomore effort, "back to me," has been warmly praised. but there's one thing edwards can do without. "why do people always compare me to other women?" she says in advance of her appearance saturday at dowe's on 9th. maybe because a lot of people aren't really listening. or perhaps they're fixated on edwards' country-fresh looks. they certainly aren't listening to her songs, which both lyrically and musically are indebted more to tom petty than lucinda williams.   "i think it's just that when i first started playing music and writing songs, i was more influenced by male-based bands, male singer-songwriters" edwards says. "and i think consciously, i never wanted to sound like some wispy, chick singer or songwriter with a guitar. at the same time, i feel like i'm writing songs the way that i speak, so i don't feel like i'm going out of the way to sound like a guy." on "back to me," edwards sets the tone from the first song. "in state" blazes with guitars and a tale of a thief being berated by his girlfriend with lyrics that elmore leonard would love: you wouldn't even be yourself if you weren't telling a lie/maybe 20 years in state will change your mind. "a song like 'in state,' obviously that's not about my life, but there's a piece of those characters in a lot of people that i know," she says. "and probably there's pieces of those types of characters within myself. there are a lot of self-destructive people out there, and a lot of people who are emotionally fragile and emotionally scarred. i guess i'm drawn to that concept. i don't think all of my songs are about love, but love is such an interesting topic because it's the bubbliest topic on the planet and it's also the darkest." edwards does allow there was one female performer who influenced her: ani difranco, because she was "always making a point and always saying something." the new album rocks a little bit more than its predecessor. "the guys who play on the record were the touring band, and i think the sound of our live show during the 'failer' tour was a lot edgier, a little bit more rock 'n' roll and electric guitar parts," she says. "i think that came from being in a touring band for so long, being in a tight group rather than it being everyone just playing around me." edwards admits she felt a little pressure to equal the success of her debut while recording "back to me." but she was confident, because her husband, colin cripps, was producing and zoe, her record label, wasn't expecting one of those "wispy chick singers." and her standing in her native canada has improved. despite the success of "failer" when it was released in the u.s., edwards wasn't really accepted in her home country until she made an appearance on "the late show with david letterman." "it's kind of a canadian curse sometimes, that we need to leave and be accepted or praised somewhere else for our own country to get behind it," she says. "this time around has been really different. everyone has been really supportive from the get-go. and yet i have to say that whole david letterman thing, it kind of got things going. it was a confirmation that people needed to see. it was kind of weird in a way, but if that's the way it happened, i'm kind of grateful it did at all." regis behe pittsburghlive.com				Album reviews Feature articles Interviews Show reviews