This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
“I’m a little bit older,” sings Kasey Chambers. “I’m a little bit surer.” Like we all couldn’t tell.
Chambers’ confidence and ability are written all over every groove of her superb third album. Though this is hardly a new direction for her. On Wayward Angel, the Australian singer-songwriter continues to follow the rootsy Americana path she has pursued since her 2000 North American debut The Captain. Her youthful vocals and heartfelt lyrics still conjure Emmylou Harris, while the twangy melody of her music and the earthy grit of her band (which once again includes her dad and brother) put you in mind of Lucinda Williams, with bits of Iris DeMent and Gillian Welch here and there for good measure. But this time, she not only gets the balance just right; amid all her influences, she finds a sound that is distinctly her own. The years have honed Chambers’ songwriting skills to a fine point; without a single excess note or syllable, these 14 songs put across their emotional truths with crystal clarity and honest simplicity. In Chambers’ capable hands, less becomes much more, making Wayward Angel a striking, consistent and impressive album — and one of the year’s outstanding roots releases. If she gets any surer of herself, she’ll be unstoppable.
