Music / Reviews
Review: Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Bristol Beacon – ‘Stripped-back form of catharsis’
Benjamin Francis Leftwich released his masterful, ethereal debut Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm many moons ago. 150 moons, there or thereabouts. Why am I talking about moons? It’s been 13 years. Wild.
That rather lovely record featured heavily in the meanderings of my late teens and early twenties, offering obvious and obscure relatability in equal measure.
Leftwich’s songwriting is his biggest asset, but take nothing away from the signature, wistful voice that overcomes occasional platitudes and evokes emotion in every word. It’s a voice that brings subtle twists and great weight to stories of woe and hope.
is needed now More than ever
It makes sense, then, that his records have gradually shifted from husky, hushed compositions to feature more prominent, punchy vocals.
His latest album ,Some Things Break which was released this year, showcases the full breadth of his skill, from the aching loneliness of New York to the almost balladic A Love Like That.
I last saw Leftwich at Thekla; packed to the rafters with movers and swayers, obviously.
This time we’re at Lantern Hall, a somewhat shapeless spot tucked within Bristol Beacon. Something about seated gigs just doesn’t sit right.
It feels a bit dirty to so much as mutter “Yep, nice track”, like the space has taken my attention hostage.
But Leftwich is thankful for the quiet, which is all that matters. “It helps me focus and keep playing”, he says, before recalling a physical fight that broke out at one show in Worthing. “This music’s not really the vibe for that.”
So the staging’s stripped back to a string of guitars and a slightly wonky 90’s floor lamp. Leftwich goes solo on some tracks, accompanied only by his own plucking rhythms.
On more rousing numbers, he’s partnered by Jamie Squires on reverb-heavy keys. Squires also tours with The 1975, no less.
The quietly moving set encompasses highlights and deep cuts from a genuinely impressive back catalogue.
Among them we’ve got the heady heartbreakers Some Other Arms and Tilikum from 2016’s sophomore effort, After the Rain; the stunning ode Cherry in Tacoma from 2021’s To Carry A Whale; and two of his most popular tracks, Pictures and Atlas Hands, which he performs away from the mic as though delivering tender, living room renditions.
That intimacy is something of a blueprint. With no shortage of singer-songwriters on the circuit, Leftwich has shaped space for himself through consistently pleasant melodies and a stripped-back form of catharsis.
Main photo: Samuel Fletcher
Read next:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
