A history of insolence : songs of freedom, dissent & strife

"Arriving with endorsements from both Shirley Collins and REM's Peter Buck (...), it's fair to say that this comes with a hefty amount of expectation. If it's a burden, it's one that Bedford shoulders with consummate ease across these twelve "songs of freedom, dissent and strife" ... An impressive cast of instrumentalists including [Paul Simmonds], Gerry Diver and (ace banjoist) Dan Stewart deliver just the right amount of acoustic wallop, while guest vocalists Alasdair Roberts, Jackie Oates and Del Amitri's Justin Currie (...) all make graceful and effective contributions ... This is an uplifting, easy-on-the-ear record, despite the occasional bleakness of songs like Junktown ("knife yob thugs snort drugs and booze..."), as Bedford beautifully conveys her inherent strength and optimism, chanting down Babylon like a post-punk Peggy Seeger, in the hard times of Old England".