Review by Anthony Nguyen & Staff
Beatrice Betley is an acclaimed vocalist, producer, songwriter and composer, whose roots originated in Hamburg, Germany. Throughout her musical travels, her love of the craft started at an early age. Singing basically before she could even walk, Beatrice learned to play the guitar, recorder, and recently the piano to add to her repertoire. Her music spans genres as she blends elements of Jazz, 80s pop, EDM, Argentinian Folk and dashes of Flamenco and Fado. Her song, "Words", is ag reat way to get acquainted with Beatrice's undeniable talent.
With an infectiously upbeat groove and stellar musicianship “Words” by Beatrice Betely is a fantastic song. Grabbing influence from several genres including jazz, R&B to even Latin Beatrice manages to effortlessly meld these different ideas to make her own unique fusion. The saxophone, played by James Blackburn, is absolutely gorgeous and easily steals the show away at some parts. Reminiscent of Kenny G in terms of tone and bursting with emotion on every note the musicianship displayed is immediately evident. The rhythm section consisting of the guitar drums bass and keys gels together perfectly, giving the song a rock solid foundation. The drums played by Gary Gray are smooth and laid back, and each kick and snare hit assures the pace of the song.
The real star of the show however is the vocals. Fiercely intimate, Beatrice manages to grab your attention and never let go. While the technique and pitch is clearly superb, it’s really the singers ability to convey emotion that makes this song standout.
The song starts off with the rhythm section and of course the ever so sultry sax. It’s understated and does it’s job of being an intriguing intro to the song. The first chorus is simply electric, with smooth vocals and good arranging. The verse is somewhat mellow which gives the chorus room to grow. The first Latin “esque” breakdown is a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. It appears to come out of nowhere, but works so extraordinarily well as a palate cleanser to the rest of the song. It makes several more appearances and manages to give the song a shot in the arm, and is ridiculously energetic. The last chorus is expertly done, and manages to be charismatic and intimate at the same time, no easy feat. The arranging throughout the song is also well crafted. Instruments come and go as needed, and pretty saxophone riffs here and there ensure the song is always engaging.
The inspiration for the song comes simply from the power of words. In this age of social media and instant communication, it is easy to forget how important and powerful real words are to the human experience. Some lyrics that portray this sentiment beautifully are, “Let’s hope words will never die, How else could we explain why Words - spoken as whisper or as scream,” A truly heartfelt and important message only adds to the gravity the song already holds. With stellar arranging and an equally impressive performance from the players, “Words” by Beatrice Betley is an outstanding achievement in songwriting.
Stream on Spotify.
Comments