Far from a Wayside: Bedouine’s third album displays songwriting brilliance

Azniv Korkejian, also known as singer-songwriter Bedouine, pulls in listeners with her poetic lyricism and elegant style. With her third record released just over a year ago on October 22, 2021, Waysides continues to provoke heartfelt emotions as the artist’s most intimate work of acoustic folk yet. It’s composed of songs quietly pocketed away for as long as 15 years, formerly forced into the shadows by more prominent tracks chosen for her first two LPs.                                 

Despite its title, the album is unlike a wayside of songs, as her skillful storytelling proves each one to be far from an afterthought. The album ruminates on her experiences, each song gently weaving together into a warm blanket of sweet melodies.   

It’s one that I personally have held close to my heart since its release as a space to wallow alongside its sorrow and dwell with my own feelings of isolation and heartache. She covers these melancholic subjects with a familiar calmness that puts the listener at ease. 

Her honeyed voice hums soothingly throughout, with added layers of her subdued harmonizations on each track, adding a richness to her mellow timbre. The production is reminiscent of her last record, Bird Songs of a Killjoy (2019), where the complexities of heavier instrumentals mesh well with her acoustic sound.   

The opening track, “The Solitude,”  is marked by an upbeat and captivating melody filled in with solemn Joni Mitchell-inspired lyrics. It tells the story of dealing with the absence of a lover, offering a bittersweet welcome into the album. 

Bedouine preserves themes of isolation with hushed, contemplative tracks like “I Don’t Need the Light” and “Easy” that revisit memorable moments in her life. She effortlessly encapsulates her thoughts, submerging the listener into her lived experiences with prowess.  

She delves even deeper in the heart-wrenching song, “The Wave,” with whistling flutes and steady sounds of gentle waters wandering throughout. It’s tinged with hopelessness as she laments the passing of a friend, evoking a palpable feeling of despair.

“Forever Everette” stirs an emotional shift as her lush guitar picking swells into a harsh wall of layered vocals and build-up of instrumentals. It’s rather experimental as it strays away from the stillness of the rest of the record, and expresses her vulnerability with more intensity as she captures feelings of pent-up anger and irritation.

Bedouine ties the album together softly with a slowed and syrupy cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird,” a fitting tune that suits the record’s sentiment. Her voice steadily fades out as mystical instrumentals linger, trailing off into silence as the album draws to a satisfying close. 

Waysides touches the listener tenderly, opening a door into the intimacies of Korkejian’s life. It’s a timeless piece that has continued to evolve with every listen, leaving endless possibilities for other music she has put by the wayside.

Article by Anahit Hovsepyan

Photo by Moises Galvan