NEW Kathleen Edwards - Back To Me (CD)

Kathleen Edwards had already exhibited a great deal of artistic confidence on her first record, Failer, but on Back to Me, she seems to have moved on to the next level.

Her songwriting remains sharp and melodic, exhibiting a Neil Young-like ability to write concise, flowing lyrics and express deep emotions via simple, effective melodies. Her singing, however, has taken especially great strides. Playing and singing live for the past year has done wonders for her technique, for her pitch is more accurate, her phrasing more engaging, and her timbre far more rich than before. Instrumentally she gathers yet another great band, this one spearheaded by one of Canada's great guitarists, Colin Cripps (formerly of Crash Vegas, now married to Edwards, and also the producer on this record), whose expansive, ringing tones and innovative parts add immensely to Edwards' palette. Like Jon Brion, Cripps has a knack for playing unusual yet perfectly comfortable parts within simple songs, augmenting but never interfering with the central melody or the vocals. Witness rock-out title track "Back to Me", where the electric guitar brilliantly emulates a fiddle, the simple, wailing slide guitar on "What Are You Waiting For?", and the guitar-as-string-section chimes of "Somewhere Else".

But as great the sonic backdrop is, Edwards remains the star, with a voice that's lonely, optimistic, worldly and vulnerable at the same time. Lead track "In State"'s restrained croon is magnetic, married to a gently insistent beat and Cripps' slithering guitar lines; the Byrds-like 12-string guitars and gentle balladry of "Summerlong" are seductive; "Copied Keys" mines one of Edwards' (and Neil Young's) favourite themes, wanderlust, backed by a naked, picked acoustic guitar line and elemental string and slide parts; "What Are You Waiting For?" is the best uptempo track, with its heartbroken guitar hook and Edwards' soulful singing. But the best track, hands down, is "Pink Emerson Radio", a spacious ballad where Edwards' voice is simply angelic, hitting a wrenching high range she's never explored, and a sad melody that cuts straight to the heart. The song also features her best lyrics to date, a collage of imagery linked by the heartbreak of abandonment -- easily the best entry in Edwards' already impressive songbook.

If you liked Failer, you're likely to have grabbed this record already without having heard a note. This record is essential listening for anyone interested in rock, folk, or country styles; even if you're not, give it a chance and you'll find some of the most emotionally resonant songwriting, singing and playing around.

At first I thought this album sounded too "same"--too much of one sound and not enough variety to carry an entire CD. Over time, though, this record has grown on me; if not Failer's equal, it's close, and Kathleen has definitely stepped out of the shadow of Lucinda Williams and into a place her unique voice makes possible for her and few others.

The album starts very strong with back to back rockers, then suffers its only missteps with "Pink Emerson Radio" and the too-precious "Independent Thief." Press on, listener! The weary tales of "Old Time Sake" and the hopeful "Summerlong" get things moving again, "What Are You Waiting For?" is a rollicking taunt, and "Away" is a beauty of a ballad.

This album features an incredibly strong closing trifecta. Leading off with the only non-Edwards song on the album, "Somewhere Else," we move to the record's standout, "Copied Keys," which finds Kathleen musing on the pain of moving to a new place for love and feeling like a tagalong to someone else's life, backed by a trembling guitar that somehow fits the emotions of the song perfectly. Closer "Good Things" sounds upbeat and carries a positive message, but ends the album with a broken heart.

If you haven't listened to Edwards before, buy this or Failer and try her out. And if you liked Failer, you'll like this, too. Give it a little time to grow on you!

Kathleen Edwards is releasing here a fantastic new CD with many deeply felt honest and explored feelings, well sung and drawn out as if it were a collage of raw and candid emotion on a canvass that results in an awesome and exquisite new album! People point out that Kathleen uses combinations of folk music, country and rock to do all this-and they are right.

The CD starts off strong with the track entitled "In State." This is then followed by the very self-assured title track "Back To Me." Wow, this title track is powerful! I love these great lyrics: "I've got ways to make you sing my songs/Ones I ain't written yet/I've got lights you've never seen/I've got moves I've never used/I've got ways to make you come/Back to me." The musical arrangement here is strong to support her statement and it is equally well written. At the other end of the spectrum are two songs, "Independent Thief," and "Away" deal with incredible heartache and deeply wounded feelings.

Edwards is supremely talented; I own all her CDs (there's a third "live" CD already out even though Amazon and others sometimes mistake this for a "sophomore" CD). Kathleen's voice always feels so welcome and beautiful to my ears, just like that of a special confidant I can really trust. Her honestly, raw emotion, natural power and compelling spirit always make for a superb album. I ache for more from this woman and this CD will hook you for sure! The quality of the sound is great so you can really hear how well Kathleen emotes to her audience. On this CD Kathleen truly reaches out as she has before. I find her to be refreshingly honest about what are actually common human emotions and experiences on this CD. This is a great CD to get if you're new to Edwards' work-and a must have if you're already a fan like I am!

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