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Lorenzo Bedini — Who Never Was
(Bandcamp no#, 2025, DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2026-07-11

Who Never Was Cover art

Bedini is best known as the primary songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of British progressive rock band Airbridge going all the way back to their 1982 debut Paradise Moves, as well as all the more recent incarnations of the band beginning with the four-song EP Return in 2013. I suppose over the years he had composed some material that didn’t precisely fit the Airbridge sound, so it finds its way to life here on Bedini’s first solo album, Who Never Was. The lyrics seem to follow a thread of how the effects of life change us as we develop, but that’s not completely clear, as I don’t have a lyric sheet at my disposal, and I’m not one to dwell on analysis of lyrics at any rate. Folks may notice a similarity in the cover art with a certain Genesis album from 1976, but I assure you that’s where the similarities end, other than in a very general sense. Yes, the album’s twelve pieces are probably best described as progressive rock, though there are a lot of mainstream and psychedelic elements in the stew as well, and one is never likely to be reminded of any other artist from the genre, not even Airbridge. “Could have Been” opens the set with some sweeping synth chords but quickly gets moving with an electronic grooves and slashing guitars that would fit nicely on any mid-70s Pink Floyd record, though a sudden change in tempo might make a listener suspect they’ve moved on to the next track, but they haven’t. Moving on to “The Walrus and the Carpenter” things become even more psychedelic, swirling in electronic sounds and voices. Apparently the lyrics to “Walrus...” were taken from Lewis Carroll, and the music co-written with Stephen Bennett, otherwise this is entirely Bedini’s project — he composed everything, wrote all the lyrics, and played all the instruments. The mix is often a bit odd, like certain sounds echoing in the background on some cuts, giving some fundamental similarities with space rock of yesteryear, very dreamy and abstract at times. Other tracks of note include “A Brighter Flame,” which opens with a gentle approach with plenty of bizarre effects to keep it interesting, and like many of the pieces it seems to move through many very distinct sections, while “August Storm” probably rocks harder than any other. The nine-minute “Voyager” is the album’s long spacy drift, embracing some interesting electronic sounds and beautiful melodies on synth, with guitar solos just below the surface, although it would have been just as effective at four or five minutes, and the title track is the final word, voice and guitar mixed with field recordings, bass, and keys, a very enjoy able closer, and all taken, a fine debut album full of unexpected turns and twists.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Lorenzo Bedini

More info
http://lorenzobedini.bandcamp.com/album/who-never-was

 

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