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Aug 14, 2020Total Freedom is aptly named, as these songs are the work of a songwriter who demands no more and no less; now more than ever, Kathleen Edwards is living and making music in a way that honors her own spirit, and it reminds us why you don't take the work of someone this talented for granted.
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Aug 13, 2020There’s no con on Total Freedom—just a welcome progress report from a musician who took the time she needed, and returns stronger and wiser than she was before, with a first-class collection of songs to prove it.
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UncutAug 10, 2020Its 10 songs sing with warmth, love, gratitude and lessons learned. [Sep 2020, p.37]
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Aug 10, 2020It’s just like calling up an old friend you hadn’t talked to in years and within the first few moments of conversation, it seems that the time gap just evaporates.
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Aug 10, 2020The songs are lyrically delightful and melodically charming. It's unclear how autobiographical the lyrics sung in the first person are, and it really doesn't matter. These are songs about friends and lovers, good times and bad relationships, the freshness of youth and getting older, to which almost everybody can relate. Edwards' delightfully delivers her insights, even the unpleasant ones.
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Aug 17, 2020These are unsparing accounts of tough subjects, but Edwards navigates each song with tenderness and humor, allowing her to tear apart old idioms (“Love is blind/Whoever bought that line must be a real sucker”) or invent new ones (“Love is simple math/I can be a total pain in the ass”).
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Oct 23, 2020The storytelling on display is just as sharp and compelling—even if, from a musical sense, Edwards could've expanded on her radio-friendly arrangements a little bit more.
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Aug 14, 2020Despite the underwhelming musicality of Total Freedom, many of these songs still pack some undeniable emotional force, especially the more joyful tracks like "Who Rescued Who" — a charming ode from Edwards to her dog. In her songcraft, Edwards remains dependable and enjoyable.
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Aug 10, 2020While her singing remains strong and she is emoting about issues close to her, these tracks would benefit from more musical muscle. Regardless, even if Total Freedom isn’t her finest work, it’s encouraging that Edwards has returned to releasing new material and doing what she does best.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 6 out of 8
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Mixed: 1 out of 8
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Negative: 1 out of 8
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Sep 1, 2020
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Aug 28, 2020This album simply isn't as good as it is said to be. The songs and lyrics are mediocre.
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Aug 16, 2020