Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
Kathleen Edwards’ disc Asking For Flowers is the last album that I have yet to review from the 10 on the shortlist for the Polaris Music Prize. It’s a big deal in indie land though generally I knew very little about the nominees a few years ago. It’s much easier to review the other few records when you’ve checked them out over the course of the year.
Back to Edwards, she’s an Ottawa native (boo) and her release of Asking For Flowers is her 3rd LP and received good reviews (where reviews were written anyway) especially on receiving a 7.9 out of 10 from the highly esteemed P4K. I personally heard about Kathleen through some blog comments and I checked out her work from then. Her music is strictly defined as on the country/roots side of things.
Asking For Flowers begins with Buffalo, a slower paced track. From the start, I absolutely dig the vocals, one would have to be incredibly picky to hate it. It’s a bit of long track for me at 5 minutes and I find it a little tedious with an extra 50 seconds of a piano at the tail end. I hate long outros to say the least. My favorite song on the album, is (no surprise) one of the poppiest in The Cheapest Key. I like the alphabet intro but otherwise it isn’t the greatest songwriting.
I think Kathleen Edwards is solid, just that, she has some good song writing ability though I’m not captivated enough to be a little more then half interested, her voice is great but I still can’t pinpoint where she stands out from the crowd. Another note is that I really thought the song “Oh Canada” was going to blow. I hate hearing the national anthem and it’s true that Canadians probably don’t indentify themselves as Canadian first (I can’t help it, saying that I’m Cambodian/Khmer always gets a ooh from the ladies) but it turns out into a decent track. Edwards is pretty explicit and straight forward in her direction, maybe a storytelling indicative of the country genre but it’s not one of my preferences. A song more about racism in Canada which is welcomed because Canada isn’t that great. Living in Jane and Finch for 15 years now and having a few of my friends still frightened to drive me home (they’d rather let me bus and walk home a bit – thanks guys 
) it’s a little bit of a different story in Canada though. It’s more of a news story if a black kid gets shot in a black neighbourhood where it’s called gang violence whereas things occurring in white areas tend to be hushed-hushed.
Anyway the album is solid but it didn’t surpass my expectations that I had originally when I checked out her myspace and didn’t want to bother. Some decent stuff on this album but alas country isn’t cool for a lot of people and I’m just not as enthusiastic about I guess.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5
The Cheapest Key by Kathleen Edwards
Oh Canada by Kathleen Edwards
After the jump check out my rankings and my uneducated “predictions”.
I have no idea who will win but Frank of Chromewaves says he’s going not vote how his likes are but to the rule and integrity of the prize. He’s made no indications.
Here’s how I rank the 10:
1. Two Hours Traffic – Little Jabs
2. Shad – The Old Prince
3. Black Mountain – Into The Future
4. Holy Fuck – LP
5. Caribou – Andorra
6. Basia Bulat – Oh, My Darling
7.The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour
8. Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
9. Plants and Animals – Parc Avenue
10. Stars – In Our Bedroom After The War (not a review at all, opted to ignore it)
Prediction:
The Old Prince by Shad should win. He’s well deserving and I just don’t agree with Plants and Animals even if its the more “sexier” critical pick and he’s an under the radar choice which is always good.
Here’s his new video for The Old Prince Still Sleeps At Home:
Either it’s The Old Prince or I could see Parc Avenue, Into the Future or Andorra winning.
Tags: album
Not to be contrary, but I think this is a great record (although I’m one of the few bloggers that seem to think so). She is playful, hard-hitting, observant, rough, tender and charming… That song Alicia Ross is heartbreaking, and Oh Canada is a great look at some of the things wrong with our country.
But, unlike you, I’d hesitate to say most people don’t like being Canadian or thing that Canada aint all that great. I think her point was it’s MORE of a story when a white kid dies, because it’s humanized and people is other innocent areas wonder if it could happen in their “perfect” town.
Either way, for me it’s near the top of the list, but P & A is still the top.