Beatrice Betley’s second official single, “Lullaby,” starts off simply enough with a velvety vocal as pristine as it is entrancing, but don’t be fooled by its soft intro. In a little less than four minutes’ time, Betley’s voice will be joined by a symphony of textured melodies courtesy of guitar, piano, and sax parts that could move a mountain all by themselves. Even without the assistance of any synthetic components at all whatsoever, the monolithic nature of the music in this track is supremely potent, easy to get lost in, and above all else, quite expressive. “Lullaby” is a jazz ballad composed in honor of the 50th Earth Day, but more than that, it’s a surreal way of getting to know a deeply gifted singer on the verge of mainstream success.
Lullaby
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As we get deeper into the song, it becomes clear that Betley didn’t compose this track strictly for the purposes of highlighting her amazing vocal abilities. What starts out as a cut and dry piano harmony quickly evolves into something much grander in shape and style – from the lush melody of the sax to the cutting commentary of the guitar, we’re enveloped in sonic warmth before we even realize what’s transpiring here. The mix is progressively designed as to push us towards the edge of our seats the further down this path we go, and by the time we reach the instrumental juncture in “Lullaby,” there’s no escaping the glow of the band’s connective play.
I would have liked just a touch more presence from the bass in this track than we were ultimately given in the final mix of the song, but at the same time, I can appreciate the lean, mean look Betley was trying to achieve here. There’s certainly no shortage of bassline indulgence in both crossover jazz and straight vocal pop these days, and perhaps by steering clear of that sort of excess, “Lullaby” distinguishes itself all the more as an indie product. Nothing in this track sounds even remotely mechanical or manufactured for the purposes of radio play exclusively; instead, it’s clear from the get-go just how invested Beatrice Betley is in this subject matter. Her love of the earth is surpassed only by her passion for this medium, and that’s more than obvious when listening to this single.
Lullaby
Official Video for LULLABY by Beatrice Betley Please have a listen to my new single “Lullaby”. I have written this song originally for #EarthDay2020 but it r…
She’s got a long road ahead of her, but with the talents she shows off here, I think Beatrice Betley is going to find stardom at some point in the near future. “Lullaby” is an affectionate take on vocal jazz/pop that doesn’t appeal to aficionados of the genre alone. A hybridity devoid of the sonic trappings that have essentially become standard among plasticized major label acts in the last half-decade, this song is a meaningful ballad, and not a sample of modern experimental indulgence. Now is a particularly good time to be a fan of independent music, and thanks to the hard work of artists like Beatrice Betley, I think the soundtrack of the 2020s could be even more exciting than that of the preceding decade by leaps and bounds.
Clay Burton