Calgary Alberta's Widow Maker is impressive in numerous ways. Starting off with original songs that are as unique as the rest of the band. Songwriting is spread among members of the band with Will White, Julie Kerr, Craig Korth providing the material for The Awful Truth. Songs that speak the language of hurtin' and life that is bluegrass today.

The five member band is comprised of just as wide a variety of talent as their songs convey that gives the band its unique sound. Craig Korth sets the pace with his flatpicking guitar work. Byron Myhre's hot fiddle work weaves its thread throughout the album in a tasteful level -- never too much or too little. Byron also plays mandolin and guitar. The bass of Dale Ulan is different than what you'd expect on bluegrass and is a bit honky-tonk in style with its own style and personality. Then, we find Will White on banjo but, he can also be heard flatpicking a guitar.

Vocally we find Widow Maker sharing the duties gracefully. Julie Kerr provides the female vocals while Craig Korth, Will White and others provide the mix of male vocals. When they all mix, you get a new dimension of Widow Maker. The best of this album is their harmony vocals. In any combination, the harmonies just work here.

Don't let the last track, "You've Mistaken Me" take you by surprise. It's on the right track but definitely on the left rail. It runs counter to the rest of the album but, give it a chance. Its not bluegrass and keep that frame of mine when you hear it. It's got reverb, echo, and all that other stuff that's foreign to bluegrass. Will tells me that "We knew it would rattle some people's cages, expecting a bluegrass song. But hey, someone out there will like it just like we do, and them's our kind of peoples. Bill Monroe wasn't just following the established conventions of the day when he invented the music we all love so much! He was pushing the limits and breaking new ground, lucky for us."

One can't ignore the cover of this album. It just catches you and it's so fitting for Widow Maker. The liner notes tell us that this is Theda Bara Brabin from a 1914 publicity photo for the film A Fool There Was. The term "Vamp" was coined to reflect Bara's portrayal of a sexually predatory woman who used men up before casting them aside. There is more to the story about the image but it all started from this image taped to a guitar...

I had to ask and Will shared this story about the image with us

As you mentioned, it's a real eye-catcher, and my reaction was just "WHOA!" It really grabbed me. Obviously from a bygone era, but also very very edgy and so provocative. Macabre and sexy at the same time; sex and death. I took a photo of it and I could not let it rest until I found out who and what it was. I got on the internet and started Google-imaging "nude woman with skeleton", etc. You probably don't want to know some of the stuff I found, but I eventually found the image and several others like it and I was able to discover the story behind it. As it says in our liner notes, it's a publicity still of the famous silent-movie actress Theda Bara promoting her 1914 film "A Fool There Was". Her character in that movie became the prototype for what later became known as a 'vamp', a woman who uses men up then casts them aside. I'd say she used up the guy in the photo pretty well! It was also the movie that coined the phrase "Kiss me, my fool!" I realized pretty early on that this had to be an album cover. It absolutely grabs your attention and provokes curiosity. It also fits well with 'Widow Maker', i.e. either she's a widow or she's made someone else one.

So, here's a group as unique as their name and their album cover. Lots to like, original new songwriting, great harmonies, and a style that covers a broad domain of bluegrass music with even a little bit more. If you are looking for tear-jerking heartbreaking songs, you have come to the Widow Maker. The ones who will share "The Awful Truth" with you. Be careful though, this is killer bluegrass!

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