This Thursday night The Ark will be graced by the presence of three of the most stunning female voices in folk music. Not only that, the women will also be armed with banjos, guitars, harmonicas, fiddles and mandolins.

That's right, The Wailin' Jennys aren't just a trio of pretty, singing ladies, they're arguably three of Canada's most distinguished instrumentalists.

The Jennys feature Nicky Mehta (guitar, harmonica and percussion), who was nominated for a Canadian Music Award for her solo album Weather Vane in 2002. Second up is Ruth Moody (guitar, banjo, bodhran and accordion), the classically trained vocalist and the former singer of the Canadian group Scruj MacDuhk (which eventually morphed into The Duhks). The newest member of the group, Annabelle Chvostek (guitar, fiddle and mandolin), who has performed with both Martha Wainwright and Dar Williams.

Since their first album, 40 Days, which won a Juno award in 2005 for best roots/traditional album, The Wailin' Jennys have crafted a contemporary country/bluegrass sound that openly embraces Moody's Celtic roots, Mehta's poetic, sometimes-dark songwriter mentality and now Chvostek's incredible gospel-jazz alto voice.

With their recent appearance on National Public Radio's Prairie Home Companion, The Jennys popularity in the states has begun to flourish, sending them and their new album Firecracker on a widely anticipated international tour.

Firecracker is the Jennys's second album, but it's the first with new member Chvostek rounding out the trio instead of founding member Cara Luft, who left the group in 2004 to pursue her solo career. The album is a prime example of what happens when three gifted individual musicians collaborate to form one phenomenal musical group. Each member contributes four songs to the album, each taking her turn on lead vocals and interjecting her own distinct songwriting style. The result is a piece of art that reminds you just how brilliant folk music can be and how goddamn beautiful female harmony really is.

And fortunately the Jennys talent isn't being ignored. Firecracker earned the group nominations for best vocal group and best contemporary album at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.

If Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch's harmonies on the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack left you slack-jawed and momentarily breathless, then these deft vocalists will surely make you appreciate the delicacies of three-part harmonies. While their music may rely heavily on country roots, Moody, Mehta and Chvostek (soprano, mezzo and alto, respectively) are musicians who know exactly how to use harmony without sounding like a trio of twangy Southern belles.

Their voices are gorgeous, their lyrics are thought-provoking and their instrumentation is diverse. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the music starts at 8. Tickets are available at the door and online.

Wailin' Jennys
Tomorrow at 8 p.m.
$15
At the Ark