“Bridges Over Minefields” by Ben Street is an album that explores themes of love, grief, and loneliness. Some of the songs are inspired by Ben Street’s personal experiences with psychosis, rehabilitation, and emotional upheaval. In order to give blues enthusiasts and those seeking something new a dynamic and engrossing listening experience, the album combines pure rock, blues, soul, and funk music with horns, synthesizers, and diverse percussion.
The first solo album by Ben Street is titled “Bridges Over Minefields.” It is a collection of songs he has composed over many years that have not yet been released. This album has taken a while to complete, and there have been times when he has wondered if it will ever be released. Nevertheless, he is happy with the results and grateful that he can now share them with you.
The pandemic, like it did for many other musicians, served as the impetus for this record. Ben Street was forced to produce the entire record by himself due to prolonged lockdown and isolation. With the exception of some backing vocals provided by his lockdown buddy, a.k.a. his wife, Anna, he played every instrument, recorded, and mixed every track. Everything was completed in his Melbourne, Australia, home studio in Ardeer.
The debut 10-track solo album, “Bridges Over Minefields,” was made available on November 18, 2022. Ben Street, as previously said, played all the instruments, produced, composed, mixed, and mastered them. The title alludes to the notion that, despite not being the optimal option for a minefield, a bridge might nonetheless serve an immediate need. “Bridges Over Minefields,” according to Ben Street, is a generic standard that adorably employs the tropes of the genre(s). Ben Street refers to it as his Monochromatic Standard Stock Rock.
“Bridges Over Minefields” tracklist;
1. Weak Man Weak Heart
2. Deserted
3. Now’s The Time
4. Christmas Day
5. Try Try Try
6. Pitch For The Perfect Human
7. In The Name Of Science
8. Days Like These
9. The Shape Of My Trouble
10. Sinner
The opening track on the album “Weak Man, Weak Heart,” has some bluesy licks and solos from an overdriven guitar. The drum joins in after that, followed by the vocalist, who uses his voice openly and with confidence. The song was quite effectively captured by the rhythm of the continuous overdriven guitar, and the straightforward bass line adds a wonderful touch to the piece.
The second song, “Deserted,” starts off with a bongo drumbeat. It’s interesting how the electric overdriven vibrato guitar tune and full-on drums create a western ambiance, sounding like a track from a Quentin Tarantino movie. The track has a dark, cowboy vibe when everything starts playing together. It was a melancholy yet enjoyable tune with the bluesy voice, cowboy-style music, and sporadic saxophone composition with the wah-wah guitar solo. “Sinner” serves as the album’s closing. The song begins with an electric guitar riff with lots of vibratos and smooth drumming. The blues-styled vocal comes next and changes the song’s setting, making it deeper. This song has a moody, bluesy, and western feel to it.
“Bridges Over Minefields” examines a variety of common themes, including love, loss, and loneliness. Some of them are autobiographical, such as “Weak Man, Weak Heart,” which remembers a heartbreaking and extraordinarily touching experience when Ben Street witnessed a man die. Many of the songs make reference to his own experiences with psychosis, recovery, and feeling like a euphoric mess that oscillates between joy and agony on a cloud of intertwining illogical gibberish. Despite the fact that he wrote the songs from a singular perspective, he hopes that the audience can identify with some of the more common themes.
Ben Street‘s varied songwriting, baritone voice, and electric guitar playing can all be heard in “Bridges Over Minefields.” He is greatly influenced by straight rock trio-style blues, soul, and funk music. The arrangements are punctuated by horns, synthesizers, and various percussion to add additional textures and rhythms.
Every tune on “Bridges Over Minefields” had fresh components added by Ben Street. For fans of the blues, it’s a captivating album that will keep them interested from the opening tune all the way through. Whether you enjoy blues music or not, I urge you to add this to your playlist.
For more information about Ben Street, click on the links below.
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