When it comes to music, comparisons are like a compass: they set you in the right direction, but they can't tell you what you'll find there. Serena Pryne's voice evokes the tortured purity of Janis Joplin, the soulful power of Big Mamma Thornton, and Loretta Lynn's absorbing honesty. An impressive group of likes, to be sure. But even such praise only gives an inkling of the Canadian songstress' abilities.

Read more about Serena Pryne and the Mandevilles on Last.fm.