Wandering Eyes (Thrill Jockey, 2006)

Given her proficiency in a pop-rooted rustically rural Americana, the fact that Angela Desveaux resides on the prairies of Quebec comes as somewhat of a surprise. Having been raised on both the traditional Irish and Scottish influenced music of costal Nova Scotia and her parent's penchant for country classics and contemporary cliches, Desveaux later widened her musical scope following a move to Montreal where she discovered rock infused rustbelters, hipster indie acts and bluegrass aficionados.

Although her music is undeniably founded around country western fundamentals, it's Desveaux's wide array of tastes that provides her music with the needed edges of individual style. The disc, driven by sultry vocals and relentless melodic hooking, features 10 tracks of soothing, consistent and easy to please alt.-country that bears the bounty of classic methodology and modernized pop rock tendencies.

There's a handful of to-be-expected ballads and uptempo feel-gooders that come to play, ensuring that the polar ends of musical mood are equally covered. Lyrically speaking, the album favors simplistic romanticism and the social tell-tales characteristic of the genre over the definitive emotional conviction that's needed in order to take an endeavor of this nature from good to great, but nonetheless Desveaux's debut is one of ample tone-sweets and promise.