Kathleen Edwards

"In State" is one of those rare songs that manages to successfully fit a whole lot of plot, character, and atmosphere into a single song. It's like a Sopranos episode.

Melissa McClelland (who may be in her touring band -- she's at least playing with Luke Doucet, the opener) is really good in her own right. I'm susprised her '06 CD Thumbelina's One Night Stand never has been released in the U.S. -- it's basically in the Sarah Harmer template, but with much more ambition, scale, and tunefulness.

It's currently in between Kathleen, Laura Marling, and Vampire Weekend for most played tracks this year on my iTunes. According to the counter, I like Buffalo, Oil Man's War, The Cheapest Key the most. (Oddly, tho I remember all the lyrics once the song starts playing - I can't remember which title goes to which song.)

My favorite is still "I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory," though maybe I favorite because I can identify with the subject matter. It's one of my favorite songs about being in a touring band -- it's good (and rare) when songs about being a musician avoid self-hagiography.

I meant "though it may be my favorite because...", obv

I love love love Mercury and Westby.

Which is the one with the song about the incest-murder-thing?

Or rather, which song is the one about the...

Mercury is the Virgin Suicides condensed into three minutes, Westby is a brutally theatrical character study about a little bit on the side.

"Alicia Ross," it's a true story as well. xposts

"The Cheapest Key" is the alphabet song, of sorts. It's also her most energetic. I saw the video for it on one of the cable country music channels recently. It fit where the majority of her material does not. It sold the album for me, plus Back to Me. Not bad.

Right. So I love Alicia Ross. Great song. Very haunting, and reminds me of that Buffy Saint-Marie song about similar themes.

Her voice still bugs me.

"The Cheapest Key" is an alphabetish song, but I think its important to note that she only uses letters that correspond to musical keys.

Yes, teacher.

!

I love the LP BACK TO ME! almost all of it is terrific!

another song that even more amazingly crams a story in: 'Pink Emerson Radio'

I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory

my favourite as well.

Mine too, for the hockey stuff mainly (among other stuff), though I keep meaning to go back and relisten to the Neil Youngy one that everybody says they like so much. For some reason, it's never jumped out at me. Album is pretty good though -- probably the best of her three, though I don't own the first two anymore and therefore can't check. (I did like one hockey song she did earlier, however.)

Man, I don't catch hockey refs! What are they?

You're The Great One,
I'm Marty McSorley.

Ah, I figured, cause I had no idea who those were!

Failer is still my favourite -- "6 O'clock News", "In State", "Hockey Skates," "Mercury", and "National Steel" all being standouts

Yeah, that was the other hockey one. And I liked "6 O'Clock News" at the time. Maybe should've kept it.

More about her on the Can We Talk About West Coast Country Rock etc thread and Rolling Country

Getting really into 'Asking for Flowers'...

Mercury is perfect, a sad bruised thing.

Listened to this in my car for a month, and "Sure As Shit" emerged as my favorite. The one that says "Believe me, all the days you're unsure/Believe in me, I don't want to anymore" is beautiful and I can't really listen to it without tearing up but it's slightly, ever so slightly...corny?

The flirting with corniness is what makes her really good, I think. Flirting in general, even. You get that unexpected tear in the corner of your eye and you fight it, feeling naively self-conscious, but then you just admit that it's very good songwriting and even better execution and you're hooked. I'm starting to think Asking for Flowers might just be her best now.

Asking for Flowers I definitely agree is her best. My mother compares her to Neil Young, and I think she's half-right (she's talking about his Harvest-era material). Just some drop-dead gorgeous stuff that also - at least for me - works on a few levels. It just wrecks me emotionally, or sometimes it's just pretty to listen to, and sometimes I dig it like I dig Dylan, as someone who I can appreciate their cleverness and their wit and their playfulness (with Edwards, way more playfulness than the first two).

Yeah, she reminds me of Neil a lot, too.

Hadn't thought of it, but yeah, I can see that. In the surprising emotional connection sense. Even if you're only half listening, it can just sneak up on you, which I find Neil can do as well. Maybe a crafty Canadian stealth thing?

i didn't like asking for flowers at first, but have come around to it ("oh canada" is a standout). whereas back to me grabbed me immediately, especially "copied keys." clearly she has a thing for writing about keys.

Yeah, she reminds me of Neil a lot, too.

Speaking of which...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXghGA9imzg

I can't really listen to it without tearing up

"Sure As Shit" does this for me, bad scansion, goofy denim king and all

She is brilliant. I discovered her around the same time I discovered Lucinda Williams, who I think has lost the plot with her last couple of albums. Unlike Williams, Kathleen just keeps on making superbly catchy songs with a gorgeous eye for lyrical detail and wonderfully subtle arrangements. Every single track on Asking for Flowers is at the very top of my iPod most played list.

I would, too.

My friend told me today that he sat next to Lucinda Williams at a show not too long ago. he asked her what she thought about Kathleen Edwards ripping her off, lol

Kathleen Edwards > Lucinda Williams imo

Kathleen Edwards > Lucinda Williams imo

^^^^^ on this

He said LW didn't think she was ripping her off, but she would, er, reverse the above equation definitely. He also said LW was cool as hell and bought everyone drinks and stuff, so much respect towards her.

I would say KE > LW now as well (see my earlier post). Kathleen lacks Lucinda's grit and sweat but that is no bad thing. I can't stop listening to "Scared At Night", I hang on every word of it and it makes me think about how I will feel when my father dies.

i met KE after a show where she was the support like 5-6 yrs ago and she was really gracious chilling with the crowd and signing stuff and shooting the breeze in general iirc

She's opening for Bon Iver this autumn. Seemed like an odd pairing until I learned that they are an item. Still, it should give her some much deserved exposure. New album out in the autumn as well I think.

They're an item? Does that mean Edwards broke up with the guitar player (who I thought was pretty crucial to her sound/show)?

I guess she must have done, yes.

woah, had no idea about any of that. Her last record was awesome.

holy fuck this new album is great

I had no idea she was even bringing a new one out any time soon! This is exciting, she's completely under-rated for someone so talented and consistent.

I haven't heard it yet. :(

Yeah I had worries about her working w/ schmindie types but this is sounding good so far.

New album is good, the first by her I'm actually looking forward to playing again since "Failer". Bon Iver dude doesn't appear to have ruined anything about her sound; the flaws I find here (professional/polite music saps a bit too much of the urgency of her songwriting) are the same things that bothered me about her last two.

"Sidecar" is flat out wonderful (even included it on my 2011 P&J ballot thanks to iTunes releasing it as an early single) and "Pink Champagne" is devastating. Still coming around to the rest.

I do think a Canadian invoking "moving to America" as an "empty threat" is both cheeky and clever.

I think of “pink champagne” a lot

"Going to Hell", "House Full of Empty Rooms", "Chameleon/Comedian" and "A Soft Place to Land" are all mighty fine.

This new album is great.

She’s the absolute best tbh

I will genuinely give this a listen soon but I just wanted to say once more that "scared at night" is the best song ever

wow the second half of this kicks the everloving shit out of the first, which for me was mostly pleasant throat-clearing

From the start Kathleen Edwards has been one of the few songwriters really able to stop me in my tracks, to all but literally incapacitate me, and this new album is no exception. I can barely make it through a song because I want to start them over from the beginning again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyLiL243X9g

aw Jim Bryson <3

ditto

And by the way, I guess that means Colin Cripps is back in the band?

Speaking of whom, was this one ever posted?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MreeHyNDZiA

Or this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBPrBdwnqYc

There is a another Quitters video on FB of a different performance.

I can just barely do it. Can't put my finger on why, but I can't think of another songwriter who so consistently breaks my heart.

So glad you called @MarenMorris.@SXMOutlaw #TotalFreedom pic.twitter.com/rBAq0c9lcy

— Kathleen Edwards (@kittythefool) August 25, 2020

I can spot your kind a million miles away

Lol etc at the NPR description accompanying this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW6WICBscx4

the pet grieving one-two punch "Ashes to Ashes" -> "Who Rescued Who" is some amazing sequencing (not to mention very helpful to me recently)

it was driving me crazy but I finally realized what "Glenfern" reminds me of: Frente's cover of of Bizarre Love Triangle

now I just need to determine what very popular 90s song the guitar part in "Options Open" reminds me of. Anybody?

This album is ok. Better than Voyager but nowhere near Failer or Asking for Flowers. Too many twee songs about pets, for one thing.

the pet grieving one-two punch "Ashes to Ashes" -> "Who Rescued Who" is some amazing sequencing (not to mention very helpful to me recently)

― geoffreyess, Saturday, August 29, 2020 5:58 PM (three months ago) bookmarkflaglink

these songs come out of nowhere and kick my ass emotionally

Listening to Asking for Flowers again right now. Really hitting the spot.

It's a beautiful record.

"Alicia Ross"

stops me in my tracks every time

that third verse

She put out a new song today (it’s nice!) and seems to be actively touring, though I haven’t seen any reference to a new album coming.

"Human Touch," Springsteen cover.

Oh ha, I just revealed one of my blind spots

I had no idea she recently toured the UK as opener for the guy from the Hold Steady. Those must have been some great shows.

She’s playing a venue in Venice (LA) next month that I’ve never heard of before. Never seen her before but hoping to check it out

From Facebook today:

Over this past winter I recorded a collection of songs for a covers album. This week I’m releasing the first of eight songs for this upcoming release.

Human Touch featuring Bahamas (aka Afie Jurvanen, my fellow Canadian) is the first track to hatch.

The truth is, this particular track is unique to the others because it was recorded years ago but was never released. What makes this track so special to me is how we set up on the studio floor facing each other, Afie played guitar and we sang it in one single pass.

All these years later it feels incredibly real to me, very much like the rest of the songs to be released in the coming weeks and months.

I’m so grateful to Jim Scott for producing this project with me. Jim is a hero of mine, as are the bands and songwriters of the songs I’ve covered for this project. Thanks for checking out Bruce Springsteen’s Human Touch and I’m looking forward to sharing the others with you soon.

"Human Touch" is really suited to her, though weird to hear it downshifted so much. That's a great late era Boss track.

I could have sworn she said Jason Isbell was producing her new album.

A year ago I had started writing songs for a new album. Here we are today, first day of August and I’m about to head to Nashville to record a new album with Jason Isbell producing. Pretty exciting stuff. All the songs I hadn’t yet written sitting at my piano with my dog wondering… pic.twitter.com/2qK7KgnW8Y

— Kathleen Edwards (@kittythefool) August 1, 2024