Kat Edmonson has come a long way since her debut LP Take to the Sky in 2009. The Big Picture is Edmonson’s third studio album and certainly the most well produced in this Texas born, alluring prohibition-era sounding artist’s career. Inspired by the Great American Songbook of the 1920’s – 1950’s, Edmonson’s first musical feat was landing a spot on American Idol in it’s second season in 2002, getting accepted to travel to Hollywood. This initial success prompted the young singer to move to Austin, TX, where she sung amongst artists as Lyle Lovett (and even scored a slot on Leno for their duet Baby, it’s Cold Outside).
The Big Picture pairs Edmonson tantalizingly timeless voice with a comprehensive backing band, ranging from a choir to slide guitar, string and percussion sections, with harmonic clarinets, castanets, xylophone and bells ( to be found amongst songs Crying or You Can’t Break My Heart). This sound distinction is a step up from her 2012 release Way Down Low, which relied more on snare, stand-up bass, and the charm of Edmonson’s unique cadence. The album However, you’ll still find that Texas country influence with duet of finger pattern picking guitars, almost akin to Brandi Carlile, in her songs All The Way, and For Two.
The album contains Edmonson-esque “charmingly innocent” style , possibly still testing out the waters after the success of the single Lucky off of Way Down Low, and a recurring theme throughout the album, yet The Big Picture is full of quirky confidence and kooky instruments (ahem – her song The Best), amongst heartfelt tracks of loss and love (her themes certainly do reflect the likes of Gershwin and Porter). The lows will have you gazing droopy eyed out the window of a new york drug store, while the highs will have you singing the words from your old man’s cCadillac If you share Edmonson’s view that she “just isn’t made for these times”, you’ll probably find something to like The Big Picture.
7/10
By: Spencer Graves
