How a singer with a single album could get so under my skin might be a mystery, if I was talking about someone other than Kat Edmonson.
Back in 2010, Edmonson, with her beautiful voice, enchanted with her debut album Take To The Sky. On that album she took classic standards and contemporary songs and reworked them just enough to build bridges between songs that spanned decades. It was a very special album in part because of her voice and because of her song choices and arrangements. It quickly became one of my favorite albums of the year and Edmonson, one of my favorite artists.
Now, finally, Kat is back with her follow up album Way Down Low. To say that I am excited about this album is an understatement. Having said this, in full disclosure, I will admit that Edmonson could be singing the dictionary and I would be excited. Her voice is that good.
On Way Down Low, Edmonson takes a bit of a departure from her first album. Gone are the reworked standards and contemporary songs, like the Cure's Just Like Heaven. Instead a perfect blend of Edmonson's self-written and purposefully chosen songs meld together to produce what she has described as a kind of 'breakup record.' Having this central theme, based on a breakdown in a relationship and her move from Austin to NYC, gives the album a more immediate purpose than her first album and it provides the listener with a direction and journey to follow through her songs.
As on Take To The Sky, Kat's voice shines like no contemporary female artist of her generation. There is a timeless quality to her voice. As she weaves her stories and songs of love and loss, Edmondson's vocal style can sound at once like it fits in quite nicely with a bevy of mid-century female recording artists, and contemporaries who have the best of today's pop sensibilities.
What Else Can I Do
Mostly, Kat has just an amazing natural gift for filling the musical space that her voice occupies with warmth, grace, restraint, and subtlety. It create an emotional tie to her songs and lyrics that grabs a hold of the listener and simply won't let go. While this is not a completely lost art today, there are simply fewer and fewer artists that transcend today's musical trends and styles and own their own unique space. Edmonson is certain one of them and one of my favorites. I absolutely love Way Down Low and I am once again glad to be bewitched by her.
M. Ward, A Wasteland Companion I almost forgot that M. Ward had a solo career, which seems absurd considering that A Wasteland Companion is his ninth outing. But that happens when an artist has had so many successful collaborations over the past few years. Now Ward is back in his own space and I found his new songs to be very absorbing. Striking a nice balance between quieter moments, which occupy most of the album, and a few upbeat sing-alongs, Ward narrates these songs and stories about life's moments and time's passing with a gentle touch. The First Time I Ran Away
Heartless Bastards, Arrow
Last year I fell hard for Drive-By Trucker's Go-Go Boots. As a pick of the week, I wrote "Sometimes I don't want a high concept album.....I just want to hear great straight-forward songs with great songwriting." Heartless Bastards' fourth album, Arrow, fits that need to a tee. With Erika Wennerstrom's great skills as a singer, songwriter, and guitar player, the band lays down ten solid songs that combined to make a winning album. Just don't get too caught up with thinking all the songs are going to sound the same. They don't. This is an eclectic mix of songs, but each one is so good that you'll be happy for the many change ups that show up throughout Arrow. Parted Ways
Of Monsters And Men, My Head Is An Animal Last year I became very interested in Of Mosters And Men when KEXP broadcast from Iceland and featured the band. At the time they were just releasing this debut album in their home country. They sounded great live and had an wonderful energy, one that I was not sure could be translated well in a studio recording. So I waited. Now, finally, the album is making its debut here and I am so glad that the album captures the essence of their live performances. My Head Is An Animal is a fun and lively album. I love the interplay between Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson who share vocals. You can tell that they, along with the rest of the band, had a good time making this album. And you will have a great time listening to it. Little Talks
Lee Fields, Faithful Man While I can't say that I have followed Lee Fields' career very closely, I am certainly familiar with him as recording artist who has been singing his brand of soul and funk music for forty years. That kind of longevity is rare these days and hard to maintain. But Lee Fields does it, and he does it with power, grace, style, and maturity. It makes an album, like Faithful Man, something out of the ordinary. There is a lot of living in these songs. Fields' with his band, The Expressions, have it all going on, all through this album, and it was a joy to experience. Your The Kinda Girl
What I love about music is its power to transport me. Sometimes it’s unexpected, sometimes it’s exactly where I want to be. A single melody can unlock memories I didn’t realize I still carried, while certain chords or lyrics take me to another time or place. Some songs feel like home, offering shelter, while others deliver me to an unknown place or space, stirring emotions I can’t quite name. In this way, music isn’t just sound—it’s a sonic subway, delivering me to a station of refuge or one I never knew existed.
Music has always been an important part of my life. My family and friends knew this well, often asking me what I was listening to and what I liked. It was always humbling to be asked, and eventually, I gathered the courage to create this music blog—to put into words what draws me to certain music and why.
Over the years, my passion for writing has grown, along with my excitement for sharing musical discoveries. I hope your time here sparks excitement and leads you to a musical discovery of your own. More than anything, I hope your visit brings a little joy to your day.
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