Asking for Flowers

Kathleen Edwards | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 4, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Zoe Records
• ASIN: B00128X6Z0
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,152 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #14 in Music > World Music > North America > Canada
  • #31 in Music > Country > Americana

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On her third album, Kathleen Edwards is poised reach the larger audiences she deserves. More striking on this new release is her stronger vocal and lyrical prowess which makes it apparent that she’s in the zone of her craft. After proving her mettle on previous outings, she delivers with further conviction and confidence across songs suited for both quiet country roads and late night city bars. Her songs are often delivered with rough edges and heavy, somewhat smoky breath, yet nothing is overstated. As one of the latest great female voices to emerge on the Alt-Country scene, Kathleen Edwards stands tall next to other significant genre partners including Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, and Patty Griffin. In her lyrics she willingly reveals the ghosts in her closet, as well as her own self recriminations, at one point stating that, “Choosing my words carefully / has never been my strength / I’ve been known to be vague and often pointless.” Maybe so, but the essence of her meaning and the tone of its delivery still resonates with lonely hearts and souls driving down life’s dustier roads.

--Lucas Hilbert

Product Description

Kathleen Edwards' Asking for Flowers is her first new album in three years, and the acclaimed artist's most penetrating collection to date. The album features eleven new songs, all written by Edwards, and finds her performing at the peak of her creative powers, supported by a group of master backing musicians. Flowers tells indelible, clear-eyed stories of hope and resignation, humor and death, unconditional love and brazen inequality.

Co-produced by Edwards and Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Whiskeytown), the album features, among others, keyboardist Benmont Tench from The Heartbreakers, drummer Don Heffington (Bob Dylan, The Wallflowers), bassist Bob Glaub (Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Leonard Cohen), guitarist Colin Cripps (Sarah McLachlan, Bryan Adams), and pedal steel ace Greg Leisz (Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 3rd Masterpiece from Kathleen, March 11, 2008

By 

M. M Magliaro "maxvideo" (Philipsburg, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Asking for Flowers (Audio CD)

It's hard to believe that Kathleen Edwards has been able to churn out 3 excellent albums in a row, without the slightest sign of anything
being rushed, duplicated, or cheesy, but she has done it.
When I listened to her first album, "Failer", I must have played it 50 times, and thought it was the best album made by anyone, in any genre, in 20 years. At first, I thought her second, "Back To Me" flagged a little, but then realized I needed to listen to it more and that it had simply taken a turn toward a more rocked up sound.

"Asking For Flowers" is yet another beautiful turn, still preserving Edwards gorgeously emotional husky voice and introspective story telling. But the melodies are more delicate and mature, as are the stories. If you enjoyed her folk, rock, and humorous styles on the first two albums, you will not be disappointed with this CD. All of those elements are still there. Songs like "I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory" and "The Cheapest Key" show her cut-to-the-chase fighting side. Songs like "Asking For Flowers" are simply heartbreakingly beautiful and honest.
"Alicia Ross" carries its own weight about a kidnapped murdered girl, even if you don't know the true story on which it was based.

Musically, the styles are very similar to her other work, deftly mixing in some of Kathleen's solo violin playing, and the band's slide electric guitar and harmonica with just the right touches to add snap to the song arrangements.

The only knock I have against this album is the same one I had for the other two. The recording quality is just not up to par. All her albums have a mid-rangey muddiness that make the band sound like they were recorded in a metal box. The drums sound somewhat like old pots and pans, the bass is lost in murkiness with no definition, and her voice needs to be up more in the overall mix. But the musicianship, her wonderful singing, and beautiful songs are just so darn good that I can overlook the recording quality with ease.

If the rest of the stupid music industry would wake up and listen to albums like this, they would start to understand what it means to create a quality album - an album worth buying and listening to over and over again so you can appreciate it, like the layers of color on a fine oil painting.

It's truly rare to find somebody who can write good song after good song, never becoming repetitive or boring, and always stretching. This must be what it was like when The Beatles were releasing new albums in the 1960s.

Bravo, Kathleen!

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of 2008? Truly a masterpiece, March 15, 2008

By 

R. Vosik "vosmo" (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Asking for Flowers (Audio CD)

I think that "Failer" was one of the best debut albums of the last 10
years. I don't find that I listen to "Back To Me" very much, and I
wondered whether maybe the first album would stand as the best of
Kathleen's career.

I did not know what to expect with "Asking for Flowers". I'd read in
No Depression that Kathleen had experimented a bit more, and I did
not find that particularly appealing, frankly.

The first couple of spins did not catch my attention. I didn't hear
any song which had a hook that caught me.

But somewhere along the line, this CD really started to get to me.
It's alternately poignant and humorous--take the juxtaposition
of 'Alicia Ross', a haunting, true story about the murder of a young
girl, with 'I Make The Dough, You Get the Glory" with its already
classic "You're the great one, I'm Marty McSorley" line. That one
will resonate with Canadians and hockey fans.

'Buffalo' is tremendous, 'The Cheapest Key' is straight ahead, no-
nonsense, no-message rock. 'Scared at Night' is beautiful.

This album has it all--poignant lyrics, great rock, catchy hooks and some nice humor. Truly a keeper--and a masterpiece.

Anyway, if you ask me, this one is a classic and leads my 'Best of
2008'.

Rick V
vosmo
(Please note--no mention of 'Neil Young' or 'Lucinda Williams' in the above review!)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wasn't "Asking For Flowers" but got a great disc instead., July 16, 2008

By 

P. Roy "G-230" (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Asking for Flowers (Audio CD)

Canadian artist Kathleen Edwards' latest offering "Asking For Flowers" is a very nice step up from her previous release "Back To Me" and is a true diamond in the rough. Even though some people have compared her to a younger version of Lucinda Williams, Kathleen Edwards is definitely a bona fide star in her own right and this release just cements what has been building over the last ten years. Each successive release has been more revealing than the last and the song quality and musicianship has continued to evolve, improve dramatically, and has been nothing short of amazing.

This disc easily has five or six tunes that will grab you by the collar and not let go. The lead-off song, "The Cheapest Key" has a great tempo and other songs such as "Buffalo," "Alicia Ross," "Run," "Oil Man's War," "Goodnight, California" and "Oh Canada" are solid, well-composed and finely crafted alt-country and rock numbers that are both a delight to hear and only get better and better with repeated playings. Yet, even with this strong line-up of songs, the true shining gems on this disc are the tracks "Scared At Night" and the title song "Asking For Flowers." In my modest opinion, they are genuine works of art!

When I first picked up this disc, I didn't quite know what to really make of it but with a little patience and an open mind, this release has quickly grown to be a personal favourite. I can only imagine that by the time I've finally had my fill of the CD - which may be never - there will be some serious skid marks to show for it. It's just that damned good!

Do yourselves a huge, huge favour and pick up a copy a.s.a.p. For fans of alt-country, pop and rock, this disc will not disappoint. Move over Lucinda, Kathleen's going to keep you company for a long, long time to come. This is, BY FAR, the best alt-country/rock release of 2008!