Wheedon offers up five songs that paint a picture of a life fully lived—heartache, joy and all.

I am partial to great lyrics. I am also in awe of the clear, shamelessly honest female voice. Toronto songstress Emily Weedon possesses both. In her labor-of-love debut EP, All Out in the Open, Wheedon offers up five songs that paint a picture of a life fully lived—heartache, joy and all.

It's impossible to not draw comparisons. Listening to the album, I could close my eyes and see Patty Griffin strumming in front of the microphone. Such is the believable compassion in Weedon's voice, a blend of girly tenderness and unabashed country roots. Weedon is supported by the talented and diverse group Delta. www.myspace.com/deltatheband. B+ | Raymee Holshouser

RIYL: Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, Patty Griffin, Rilo Kiley

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