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Back to Me [Kathleen Edwards]

Kathleen Edwards
1 disc

1. In State
2. Back to Me
3. Pink Emerson Radio
4. Independent Thief
5. Old Time Sake
6. Summerlong
7. What Are You Waiting For?
8. Away
9. Somewhere Else
10. Copied Keys
11. Good Things
Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 431047
Credits

Producer Colin Cripps; Pierre Marchand; Colin Cripps
Engineer Pierre Marchand; Denis Tougas
Personnel: Kathleen Edwards (acoustic guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, electric guitar, banjo, strings); Kathleen Edwards (vocals); Jim Bryson, Jim James (vocals); Eric Heywood (pedal steel guitar); Richard Underhill (alto saxophone); Chris Gale (tenor saxophone); Bryden Baird (trumpet); William Carn (trombone); Kevin McGarragher (bass guitar); Gary Craig (drums); Peter Von Althen (shaker, tambourine); Colin Cripps (electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar, slide guitar, xylophone, tambourine); Richard Bell (accordion, piano); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); Pierre Marchand (piano); Joel Christopher Anderson (drums, percussion).
Audio Mixer: Jim Scott .
Recording information: Reaction Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Kathleen Edwards excels at simple denim-and-leather country rock that recalls the best moments of Freedy Johnston and Lucinda Williams. Like these artists, Edwards writes mournful vignettes from the POV of down-at-the-heel small-town folks, with a rueful tenderness that suggests compassion beyond her years. Edwards sings in a pretty-yet-tomboyish voice that conveys longing, frustration, and often a vivifying redemption. Tom Petty sideman Benmont Tench and Sarah McLachlan's mentor Pierre Marchand help out on keyboards, while guitarist (and occasional co-writer) Colin Cripps provides tasteful leads that take flight when Edwards's vocals hover closer to the ground.
Edwards has a gift for writing choruses that burrow under the skin, both for their melodic seductiveness and their lyrical acumen. "Away," an airy acoustic tune about an abandoned love, haunts long after listening, and the boisterous title track boasts a compelling refrain. The most effective song overall is "Copied Keys," a mid-tempo lament about being subsumed by a relationship conducted on someone else's terms. The album ends on an up note with the gently philosophical "Good Things."
Critic Reviews

Entertainment Weekly (p.140) - Ranked #4 in Entertainment Weekly's 'Top Ten Records of the Year' -- "Edwards is that rarity -- a modern-day songwriter who loves a good story and memorable characters."
Entertainment Weekly (No. 809, p.71) - "[T]here's dignity and strength in [Edward's] stoic voice....[She's a] tough alt-country cookie..." - Grade: A
Uncut (p.108) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[An] eloquent set of songs about absence and change."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.98) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[A] strong album....[F]or all the band's rich resonance, she shines brightest when Cripps holds the kilowatts..."