I came across Bedouine the other day after someone I follow on Twitter posted a song of hers, and I was almost immediately intrigued. The little bit I listened to of the song posted was so gentle and serene that I stopped listening and added one of her albums to my queue of music to experience. Upon looking her up on the web, she seems to take musical inspiration from the American folk music of the 1960s and 1970s, though she is originally from Syria, and her family moved to the U.S. after winning a green card lottery. From what I can find on the internet, she also seems to incorporate some of her family’s roots into this music at the same time. I’m pretty excited to give this one a listen, so with that, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Nice and Quiet” starts out very gently, almost like a lullaby of sorts. Oh wow, her voice is so soothing too. I really dig the bass in this song, and how it sort of envelops the whole song. I love the layers to the vocals, and how reassuring they sound at all points. Oh wow, that electric guitar comes in and really adds some melty flavor to the mix. Wow, there’s some orchestral strings that come in from the background and really makes this soft and gentle song feel like it’s coming to a gentle crescendo, like an ocean wave at midnight softly rolling up on itself as it approaches the shore and gently crashes down. I’m very stoked for the rest of the album after this start.
“One of These Days” has an almost country feel to the rhythm section, and the guitar even has a little bit of a twang. This definitely fits in with many of the 60s/70s folk/singer-songwriter/country albums I’ve listened to lately – and I’m digging it a lot. I’m really digging the electric guitar, but wow, that organ/keyboard that comes in out of nowhere almost boosts the song to new heights somehow. That drums is super steady and really drives the song forward the whole time.
“Back To You” has an almost lonesome desperado sort of feel, with more folk than country feel, though it taps into something the early days of country undoubtedly had. Wow, the bass and guitars all melt around the song, and really frames Bedouine’s lovely voice really well. That gentle acoustic guitar is almost serving as a paddle, and the drums as a boat, as Bedouine takes the listener down a musical stream of some sort. That bass is super tasty sometimes, and melts together with the electric guitar extremely well. Those orchestral strings really tie things together well, and I’m almost even reminded a bit of the Richard Ashcroft album I listened to yesterday in that regard, though it also reminds me a bit of Randy Newman’s Good Old Boys (1974) a bit as well.
Oh wow, “Dusty Eyes” is something of a song in a movie about a lonely person contemplating their drinking in the middle of the night at some old Texas saloon. The flavor in this one is wonderful; the soundscape is huge, with some really nice bluesy tones, all delivered with something of a soft, optimistic warmth from Bedouine’s voice and the instrumentation in the song. Wow, that instrumental break was absolutely lovely. There’s nothing overly complex going on with the instruments, but all the parts come together and gradually build the throughout the whole song to come to an awesome finish. Great tune.
“Solitary Daughter” starts out with some super gentle acoustic guitar, with Bedouine’s voice coming on shortly afterwards. The bass hits some super short notes that add so much to the composition by doing so little – awesome. This song feels so personal to Bedouine with the way she’s singing and the way the instruments come on so gently and gradually. It kind of even reminds me of Leonard Cohen a bit. This song is an absolutely lovely ballad of sorts, and I’m really digging this whole album right now. The acoustic guitar at the end is really sweet.
“Summer Cold” has a bit of dissonance and strangeness to it, and sounds like it may or may not have been influenced by The Doors or 1960s L.A. rock in general. Oh wow, this song is absolutely awesome. The strings sort of cause the song to sway around, and is really enchanting to hear in a certain way. Wow, this song ends on some sounds from a city, and does so in an almost psychedelic fashion.
“Mind’s Eye” is a slow moving, but building little folk rock tune. The guitar parts are super interesting, and the strings combined with the keyboards reminds me almost a bit of “Strawberry Fields Forever” from The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour (1967). Wow, this song is awesome. The songwriting has stayed so dynamic and notably very interesting throughout, and certainly harkens back to decades of the past while giving a twist to it that make’s Bedouine’s music stand out. That electric guitar and little vocal lines at the end are simply lovely.
“You Kill Me” starts with some acoustic guitar arpeggios that sort of fold into one another, and Bedouine’s voice sort of becomes a beacon as the edges of the soundscape slowly fill with music from strings, keyboards, and bass. This song has an almost darkness to it, which isn’t very obvious at a quick glance, and I’m really digging it. I’m finding it hard to believe that so much of the album has played so far, but I suppose I’m just getting lost in the music. Really lovely tune. Oh wow, there’s almost a medieval folk feel with the flute (?) and the harpsichord-like piano piece, but is brought back to modern times with electronic chimes at the end. Really awesome.
“Heart Take Flight” is a slow little folk ballad, with gentle acoustic guitar and subtle bass, and little string instrument and keyboard parts from the edge of the soundscape, while you sort of float down the musical river that is Bedouine’s gentle voice in this one. This song consists of excellent songwriting, and really lovely instrumentation without a doubt.
“Skyline” has a really interesting optimistic feel and more upbeat tempo that honestly reminds me a bit of a Joni Mitchell song. The album definitely feels like it’s being wrapped up, as I think this is where the original album ends. I love how all the instruments are so subtle and gentle in approach, yet really combine for an awesome orchestrated tune.
“Louise (Bonus Track)” has a folky feel for the leg of a long journey for a wanderer of sorts. I think the lyrics are in Armenian at this point, and Bedouine’s voice sounds absolutely. The guitar and other instrumentation feels like there’s a bit more European, or at the very least, non-North American feel to them. Definitely a lovely song.
“Deep Space (Bonus Track)” has a strange meandering, almost jazz-like feel to it in the chords being played by the bass and keyboards. That harpsichord (I think?) comes in for some interesting notes here and there to add some interesting flavor to the mix. There’s some little electric guitar parts with some tremelo effects that create an interesting, almost spacey, deep ocean sort of vibe. Oh wow, the vocal line at the end is super awesome and super interesting. Very sweet track, and pretty awesome way to end the deluxe album.
Wow, I’m really digging Bedouine’s music. If you enjoy 60s/70s folk artists, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Bedouine as well. I know I’m going to be listening to some of these songs again, as well as some of her other songs and albums in the very near future. If you do decide to give this one a listen, I do sincerely hope that you enjoy it at least as much as I did.
-A