Twelve ago Kathleen Edwards was done with music. She even opened a cafe called Quitters. Then she quit that too. Now she has returned to music with a renewed appreciation of just playing with other people, for other people.
When Jason Isbell offered to produce and have his band the 400 Unit play on her new record, Kathleen wept. During the recording process she says she learned how to trust herself, and just get it done. ‘Billionaire’ is an enjoyable listen (apart from one notable song, more of which in a moment) and overall it’s one of the strongest Americana albums released so far this year.
Opening song ‘Save Your Soul’ was an immediate classic for me, with the band and her voice sounding so fresh and fantastic. Lyrically she’s attacking those rich entitled people who think money can buy everything, and that sentiment feels fitting for this current moment in time.
‘Say Goodbye, Tell No One’ is a brilliant banger, inspired by her decision to walk away from the career as a cafe owner and exploring the importance of being true to yourself. ‘Little Red Ranger’ was written as a tribute to the master in effortless control, Chris Stapleton and the result is a gorgeous moment where her voice really shines.
There’s an airy, loose classic alt-country sound to ‘When the Truth Comes Out’ which is more than welcome. The title track ‘Billionaire’ was written with Dan Williams (who has famously written with The Chicks and Adele) and is a poignant tribute to a lost friend, reminding us all to cling to the little moments of love and kindness we can.
Unfortunately then the album takes a strange turn. ‘Need a Ride’ is a bitter sounding song that lasts an inexplicable six minutes. Lyrically the song appears to be dismissive of people who care about important things like the environmental impact of trucks and outdoor cats, with some ominous references to ‘baseball caps’ and ‘uniforms’ as well, making me wonder where she’s at politically. I guess I’m just the kind of person who gets worked up about the things she sings about in this song, and so it jarred with me both lyrically and musically.
At least ‘Fla’, about her adopted home state of Florida, is a better song melodically and she actually makes the much maligned state actually sound like a lovely place to live. ‘Other People’s Bands’ is another with a razor edge to the lyrics, criticising an ungrateful man. She then finishes the album with the sweet song ‘Pine’, about trying to find strength to move on from a past love.
So yes there’s a interesting mix of songs on this album – both quietly vulnerable numbers and spikier rockers. ‘Billionaire’ benefits from having the best band in Americana music playing the songs, and the songwriting of such an intriguing contrarian makes this an engaging and interesting listen.
Highway Queens 
Hmm yeah, Need A Ride has kind of turned me off of this album. Somehow the baseball hat, and what that refers to, escaped me until I read this review. Obviously if someone gets worked up it’s about what that hat represents, so it’s a simplistic and dismissive line from a genuinely good songwriter. The rest of the lyrics were more obvious to me and also disappointing as someone with family who work in public health.
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Yeah I found the song has put off the album as well – even though I really enjoyed so many of the other tracks. It also made me wonder if this is why Jason or the band hasn’t helped to promote the album at all? But maybe there’s another reason.
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