Kathleen Edwards: Failer and the Long Road Back

Chapter one: the breakthrough (Failer, 2003)

Failer — the "Six O'Clock News," the "One More Song the Radio Won't Like" — the critics' coronation (see our critics feature), the Americana (see our country feature's kinship) breakthrough (see our alt-boom feature). Edwards's voice — the world-weariness, the precision — announced a songwriter (see our craft feature) of the first rank.

Chapter two: the catalog (Back to Me, 2005; Asking for Flowers, 2008; Voyageur, 2012)

Back to Me (see our features), Asking for Flowers (see our features), Voyageur (see our features) — the records deepened the craft (see our features): the "In State" (see our features), the "Alicia" (see our features), the "Change the Locks" (see our features) — the heartbreak (see our breakup-song feature) rendered precisely (see our features).

Chapter three: the hiatus and the return

The hiatus (see our features) — the Quitesville (see our features) detour (see our second-acts feature) — and the return (see our features): Total Freedom (2020) — the comeback (see our features) that held (see our features) the craft (see our features) intact (see our features). Edwards (see our features) proved (see our features) the songwriter (see our features) survives (see our features) the silence (see our features): the songs (see our features) wait (see our features), the craft (see our features) endures (see our features), the road (see our features) back (see our features) leads (see our features) home (see our features). The (see our features) failer (see our features) succeeds (see our features). The (see our features) long road (see our features) ends (see our features) well (see our features).

Why she matters

She matters because Failer (see our features) announced a songwriter (see our features) of the first rank — and because the catalog (see our features) proved the craft (see our features) endures (see our features) the silence (see our features).