Bedford and Simmonds continue their winning creative streak with an album full of ‘love, madness and obsession’. Their songs dig deep into those pillars of folk and blues inspiration; people at the edge and slowly tipping over it – psychological disintegration rarely sounds this good however.
Songs My Ruiner Gave To Me is a delicious slice of UK Americana, it showcases just how fertile this genre can be in the right hands. The track Young Parson Richard takes a Percy Shelley ballad and pumps some kind of voodoo drug into its withered veins – to brilliant effect.
The jewel within this is Bedford’s voice, as always she inhabits the songs rather than just singing them – and it is the songs such as Cruel Mother where she gives her great voice free rein that really stick with you.
Iain Hazlewood
