The seemingly secluded city of Edmonton never gets its due as a mecca for music. Oh, sure…k.d. made her massive mark as has Corb Lund and others. But the city’s rich diversity and those long, cold winters have also birthed a highly creative hotbed of musicians with time and space to woodshed until they get it right. Secondhand Dreamcar gets it more than right.

This is a massive undertaking – a 9-piece band is tough enough to coordinate in one place let alone cram into the ol’ Dodge Caravan for some roadwork. Undeterred, it’s the very scale of their intricate, musical barrage behind a phenomenal singer which makes this band something to pay very serious attention to. If they could take this on the road, their rocket would be launched in no time.

Let’s look at the parts: Dana Wylie is more than a lead vocalist. She’s a wunderkind with a massive vocal range, a master of multiple singing styles and one hell of a songwriter, having submitted 2 of her own originals and co-written 8 additional originals with various band-members. A well-established, local folkie, originally, Wylie has clearly studied the trailblazers, bringing an open door of options to band which can – seemingly – go anywhere it wants to, musically. Soul. R&B. Gospel and blues. At one moment she channels the power of a Kathi McDonald or a Maggie Bell. The next, she’s purring soul-blues like Bonnie Raitt or going full-bore Aretha with the sky her only limit. Bassist Harry Gregg has produced the album but, in all fairness, his bass-playing stands way out if Dana didn’t sing a note. And the exceptional musicianship keeps on coming. Rooster Davis’ keyboards – whether on piano or B3 deliver the meat behind the motion, the ultimate complement to Wylie’s untethered eclecticism. The rhythm section is further locked in by drummer, Jamie Cooper. Together, he and Gregg provide the propulsion behind each song, regardless of pace. Two guitarists – Kyle Mosiuk and Chad Murphy – add subtle layers of both electric and acoustic guitar, occasionally stepping out for some dazzling leads. Dave Babcock brings baritone and tenor sax to the party while trumpet player, Bob Tildesley, provides additional colour as Audrey Ochoa’s trombone adds a strong, resonant foundation to the music. The band’s distinctively tight, sophisticated, spin-on-a-dime horn arrangements are the work of Babcock, Ochoa and Tildesley. Everyone is capable of furnishing solid backup vocals while Enoch Attey and Riwo Egor are available to contribute supplemental vocal support.

You need go no further than the title track to savour the soulful gumbo served. But you will – because each song offers its own rewards. Here, prominent horns and Gregg’s prominent bass join Wylie’s lead against the feeling that you are hearing a full band as electric piano, B3 and Murphy’s and Mosiuk’s guitars get their moment astride Wylie’s expressive expanse of singing range. An obvious reference point must be Susan Tedeschi and the similarly big-band feel of the (12-member) Tedeschi-Trucks Band – although the guitars, here, are not the hero. Secondhand Dreamcar has a less improvisational style, favouring a tighter, more arranged approach.