'Portraits' features twelve songs drawn from Ben Bedford's first three albums: 'Lincoln’s Man', 'Land of the Shadows', and 'What We Lost'. The strength of this material from his early career quickly establishes Bedford as an enthralling songwriter and story teller.
‘Migrant Mother’ finds influence in the photograph of Florence Owns Thompson taken in 1938 by Dorothea Lange. Giving a voice not only to Thompson, the song humanises the plight of the displaced driven to leave home and striving to survive in a difficult world. Originally released in 2009, the stark comparisons with the Dustbowl era it portrays and the current migrant crisis across the world make it a song that has grown stronger over the years.
The civil war epics ‘Lincoln’s Man’ and ‘Twenty One’ are like mini novels as they beautifully chronicle the fears, loss, and family strife of the protagonists thrown into a horrific situation that is beyond their control.
Tonally, Bedford has a classic 1960s era folk sound that lands somewhere between Donovan and Don McLean mixed with the edge of Rod Picott and Townes Van Zandt. His work is often simple in melody and sparsely produced allowing his captivating voice and music to perfectly complement each other.
The rousing ‘Amelia’ is a fitting tribute to the achievements of Amelia Earhart. Once again, Bedford’s captivating lyrics take the listener on a journey through misogyny, the vivid scenery of transatlantic flight, and the experience of the cramped cockpit of a Fokker F.VII.
Much like the works of writers such as Lee, Steinbeck, and Twain, Bedford’s songs capture the mythic allure of the American West in gritty detail. Using immersive and detailed imagery, his songs perfectly capture an era and people in transition. If you want to hear a master songwriter at work, then this retrospective collection of Bedford’s work is a highly recommended introduction to this amiable and talented musician.