Kathleen Edwards: Back To Me a lot of listeners are describing ottawa-born singer-songwriter kathleen edwards's sophomore effort as sounding like lucinda williams fronting crazy horse, which is fair enough. i was doing the "name that tune/band/influence" thing too when i first heard back to me, especially its first track, "in state". there was something familiar about the song that nagged at me for a week until i finally figured it out: its chord progression and chiming guitars are like a tougher version of "barricades of heaven", the standout number from jackson browne's looking east. which pretty much sums up edwards's appeal: she's not doing anything innovative or even particularly individualistic, but she steals from the best and writes tunes that'll stick in your head like perfect-day memories. back to me is stronger and more coherent than her 2003 debut, failer, thanks in part to producer/bandleader/husband colin cripps's assured fretwork but even more to the singer's own increased confidence and maturity. the title track, in particular, is a feisty romp that finds edwards simultaneously celebrating and laughing at her newfound celebrity status. still, she's not afraid to get all frail, as she does on "pink emerson radio", a mysterious little song-story about nostalgia, domesticity, and decisions made in haste. what would you take if your house was burning down? unsurprisingly, most of edwards's lyrics are about arrivals and departures; her web site reveals that she's played more than 200 shows since her hit debut's release. how she managed to find time to write these new songs is a wonder, but it suggests that even if she's never home she plans on being around for the long haul. alexander varty straight.com				Album reviews Feature articles Interviews Show reviews