Review: Bedsit Poets Re-awake

Bedsit Poets
All Roads Lead Me Back
Think Like A Key Music
Four Out of Five Stars

While their handle might imply an otherwise twee attitude, the title of this reunion of sorts between the band’s power pop principals Edward Rogers and Amanda Thorpe, with help from multi-instrumentalist, producer and man-on-call Don Piper, guitarist James Mastro, Keyboardist Joe McGinty, and drummer Konrad Meissner. All those involved have ample credits on their own, but given that they run in the same circles, All Roads Lead Me Back remains true to its title. 

That said, Rogers, Thorpe, and company vary their approach throughout the 12 tracks, forsaking a singular sound that belies any obvious expectations. Thorpe and Rogers are bound to a blend of urban sophistication and ornate English trappings, and so while certain songs are swept up with folk finesse —the tellingly titled “My Precious Dear, “December Dear,” “Scarecrow,” “Everything But,” and “London Town” in particular—Rogers in particular allows his clever and quirky Brit rock banter to frequently rise to the fore. “Heartbreak Baby,” “Never Had the Chance,” “Shadows Into Ashes,” and “The Dark Night” often bring to mind the decisive delivery once heard from astute observers such as David Bowie, Marianne Faithful, Kevin Ayers, and Ray Davies, but the combination of searing sarcasm and rousing revelry provide their own emphatic impact.

All Roads Lead Me Back may seem something of a belated return, given the fact that both Rogers and Thorpe have occupied themselves with solo ventures and seemingly left their collaborative efforts behind. Happily then, the new album doesn’t retrace any of the sounds that originated on their previous two albums but opt instead for a boldly adventurous approach that finds them spurred on by a new initiative that’s both imaginative and inspired. Hopefully, their partnership will have further life, and the road that led them back to this juncture has plenty of miles reserved for the future.