Cherry Red 2026
Not one to be nixed for heretical thought he’s been exhibiting over the years, the minstrel of Leeds leads a vicious assault on the woes shaped by our times.
Bonfires Of The Soul
Being caustic is a typical modus operandi for Trevor Midgley; being belligerent, however, is not what Beau’s many performative personas are famous for. Still, the current state of sociopolitical affairs and unsavory tendencies in the realm of culture dictate his uncharacteristic stance that makes “Bonfires Of The Soul” one of the most memorable albums in the canon of the artist who’s issuing it on the cusp of his 80th anniversary. The veteran may not offer any apocalyptical scripts here, but his references to “Fahrenheit 451” scenarios and the return, on two songs, to the theme of the Russo-Ukrainian war for the first time since "Kingdom Of The Blind" brought up the subject paint this platter in gloomy colors. Of course, sarcasm and humor lurk in there, too – otherwise, neither twelve-string-strum nor angelic voice would make another annual entry into Midgley’s discography a genuine Beau record, which it, sure enough, will prove to be right off the bat.
But while stinging opener “Environment Knight Of The Puritan Woke” sets the light tone by exposing snowflakes who brew blizzard in a cup of English tea, that light will turn into a hellish flame of literary auto-da-fé, the ultimate cancelling, in the album’s title track where Trevor’s faux-serene vocals burn with a righteous anger, as opposed to sizzling with laughter in “Lady Chatterley’s Brother” which lambasts opportunistic graphomaniacs whose works don’t immediately catch fire. And since the last two cuts mention a beacon, Midgley wasn’t able to not whip up his usual maritime tale and spin a proper folk story in “Smalls Lighthouse” further on, yet the shanty form of the semi-autobiographical “My Truth” can’t blunt Beau’s sharp words, just like the sailing of “Upon The Tide Of Time” can’t tone down the piece’s drama, and “The March Of Time” can’t dim the verity hidden in the delivery of his deceptively innocent lyrics
But there are no allegories and metaphors in “Enlightenment Song” which calls out public servants for what they’re worth, unlike in “The Glass We Knew” which wraps things up in a sentimental, highly human way. A perfect commentary on here and now, “Bonfires Of The Soul” is profoundly enjoyable.
*****
