Sam Roberts

Like so many shaggy-haired roots-rockers before him, Montreal’s Sam Roberts writes songs about meeting cold, cold girls and finding himself on the road to confusion, then plays them like the only thing he’s unsure of is the number of drinks to order from the bar before last call. On We Were Born in a Flame–which Universal released in 2003 to no effect before it became a hit in Canada, leading Lost Highway to pick up the CD for relaunch this summer–Roberts grooves like a mellower, more balanced version of his new labelmate Ryan Adams. He won’t surprise you, but he just might charm you.