Ridley Bent

He’s the West Coast’s answer to Buck 65, but Ridley Bent is more party than it is poetry, more country, and moreover, the finest damn storytelling you’ve heard in a long time. Bent was actually born in Halifax, slowly making his way across Canada as the son of an army man. He grew up with the sounds of hip-hop and shunned the country and western classics so loved by his guitar slingin’ father. Though he wasn’t able to erase the twang of Hank nor the Cash given gift for storytelling stamped in his mind, he didn’t let go of those beats either. Bent sings loud and proud with a countrified accent that would be obnoxious if it weren’t so effective. His character driven scenarios are a gravitational force for the ears that lock you into orbit around the lives of forlorn, restless, and unruly types. Ridley’s music is a fine example of how blown over the lines drawn in the sands of music is becoming. He’s a welcome addition to the post-modern hootenanny, where genre specific music gets tossed like stale chips and innovation is a matter of mixing the leftovers. From Cash to the Clash and Mike D to Marley, Bent is bringing his outlaw heroes with him over the open flame and it’s one hell of a musical stew.