Album Reviews

There's an outlaw tune, a tough-chick-struts-her-stuff tune, one about breakup and regret and other familiar subjects, and Kathleen Edwards and her band express it with edgy, pedal steel drenched country roots-rock that has probably already worn familiar pathways through the musical synapses of your mind, but on her sophomore effort, Kathleen Edwards proves she's got the goods to go for the long haul.

The key to this formula's success is in the execution, not the originality, and that she and her band manage effectively. The poetry is colorful and evocative, the melodies elegant, the playing purposeful and crisp, and Edwards's stripped down, cool vocalizing style is enticing. She's got a sexy-breathy thing going that's intimate without becoming a singing lap dance, and behind it lurks a haunting wistfulness that ropes you in.

In other words, this album doesn't move far from Failer her equally tasty debut and that's fine because she's proven she can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump be remaining modest but interesting.

The tunes still don't really take many interesting twists and turns. Instead, they groove along nicely at a medium tempo, build steam and then slowly wind down in ways that are either predictable or classic, depending on your perspective.

There's a Neil Young-like direct quality about this Canadian. She's held my interest for two records and I'm happy to recommend either or both of them for a rockin' good, twangy-guitar time like you might have with John Mellencamp or Springsteen's “Never Let You Down,” but the trick for Kathleen will be third album. But if can't surprise us next time, she'll be easily identified as just a modest talen. So surprise us Kathleen.

The recording is serviceable, but kind of flat and opaque, and definitely “smashed” as they say in the mastering world. We say “compressed to shit.” I mean it's not fatal, but don't expect the “breath of life” coming from the grooves and it will be okay. The mix is better than the recording actually: tight and compact, with an nicely coagulated feel.