Photo Credits: Simon Green

Grammy and Oscar-winning US country star Ryan Bingham delivered a faultless set at the Black Deer festival.

Looking the part in white hat, red waistcoat and smart black shirt/trousers his set featured several tracks from his latest album American Love Songs including the swinging Jingle And Go and Stones with its excellent gospel-fused backing vocals.

The gentler Situation Station belies its strong political overtones and contains a less than complimentary verse about President Trump who is proving to be a gold vein of material for the modern American songwriter.

Bingham takes his art very seriously, from the sophisticated construction of his songs, his band that has two female backing vocalists, to the impeccable delivery of his material.

Photo Credit: Chaz Brooks

His latest album, which is a very fine piece of work, is full of autobiographical material about his misspent youth, time riding on the rodeo circuit, the deaths of his alcoholic mother and his father who committed suicide, and the current political situation in America.

The slower, gutsy Blues Lady led into Texas country with What Would I’ve Become and he finished with a long sweet acoustic guitar into his Oscar-winning song The Weary Kind.

Bingham is a top-quality act, live and recorded. Recommended.

Words and Chaz Brooks