“Steinbeck”, Kim Edwards’ Ode to Forgotten Tales of Struggle

Kim Edwards’ music is a resonating oasis of reflectively melancholic art. Having won the prestigious Jerry Ragovoy Songwriters Workshop, Edwards has proven her lyrical ability to thread stories with her uniquely soothing voice. Edwards’ “Steinbeck” is an ode to a time where lifelong love and the adventures of the open road ruled life. Set against the hectic backdrop of the Dustbowl, Steinbeck narrates the simple but unmistakably soberly important story of the often forgotten “everyday man”. Weighed by the crumbling economy, left to his own devices, these are men whose lives were exploited and marked by pain.

Edwards narrates a tragically beautiful dedication to them with “Steinbeck”. Steinbeck’s intro is somber, gently introducing us to this story with sweet guitar chords, “In the field, in the sun was a lad of twenty-one / Furrowed brow, hand to the plow / He spent his nights, spent his days on the land which he was raised / Til the dust brought him low, forced him to go.” Her use of rhymes almost gives this song a lullaby, dark fable-like effect. This effect is amplified by the simple production of the song focusing on Edwards’ voice and the guitar during the intro. Edward’s skillful vocal skills provide beautifully elongated melismatic notes, adding to the effects of a lullaby. The song continues narrating the traveler's journey, from train hopping with vagabonds, to working in hopeful fields, to finally finding a home when falling in love. As the traveler finds a sense of belonging, the production gets more complex, with violins giving a sense of romantic longing, “He fell in love with the daughter of the foreman so he bought her / A wedding band, asked for her hand”.

As the song progresses, the violins become intense, adding to the sense something is concluding, a circle of loss is ending. The traveler finally realizes his desire to go home, and trumpets explode as he makes his way. The song comes down to somber ending, as the traveler’s life ends after living it fully and authentically, with a final cinematic crescendo of violins and trumpets ending the song as Edwards’ voice soars. Edward masterfully and melodically weaved a cinematically beautiful visual song. “Steinbeck” is a call to a time gone but also resonates now during these unsure times, bringing a sense of known comfort.

Reviewed by Sara Michael