Betty Reed
Shallow End
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. There’s more to Nashville than country. Much more. There’s a good rock scene here, hip hop continues to grow, as does jazz - and there’s a solid pop scene here. Case in point, Betty Reed. The Boston native and Nashville resident has racked up over 100K streams with 10 releases and a heck of a voice. With her latest release, “Shallow End” she goes head-on against the challenges of depression. Thankfully, our society is coming around to finally being able to talk about the challenges of mental health, openly. Songs like this are hugely important to the greater good - one of the reasons why artists do what they do (to push society forward) - and we’re grateful she’s was brave enough to write about her struggle with it. Here’s our review.
It’s a chill start, around 76 BPM, with a chord progressive that is pensive, but hopeful. Solid mix, solid modern tones, wide open vibe. When Betty drops the first two lines, you get a feel for her impressive voice that can cover a host of genres - she has a unique timbre - but you also know you’re in for a thick ride, lyrically. “When It takes ahold of me, the water’s murky and I don’t trust what I don’t see.” There’s a lot to take in - the lyrics, the solid melody of that progression, the ease at which she jumps between her chest and head voice, the spacious of the mix, the great choice in soft keyboard tones that counterbalance the strength in her voice. Great stuff, dig it.
The transition to the chorus is made via a brief fill from drums and guitars that is reminiscent of some killer 80’s jams. It’s simple, effective and gets straight to the point - nothing else is needed. The level’s come up just enough to create a higher plane of intensity, and the are some subtle changes in the drum tones. Beautiful lyric writing here, “I’m aware it makes no sense, I’m drowning in the shallow end, Can barely breath I don’t know when, I’ll either die or stand again, Again, again, I’m drowning in the shallow end, again, again.” Relatable on so many levels - there’s so many people today that feel this, and need this to be said out in the open.
Do yourself a favor and dive into the second verse and chorus to understand the depth of the lyrics. Share this you know with someone who’s going through the same thing - it’ll help.
Love the guitar solo - it’s huge in tone and mix, but sparse in note choice. That’s the mark of a mature player. Love the outro choruses too - the way she breaks down the first one, then lets the last one explode. This is anthem material - great track.
Make sure you scroll down to catch her socials and more of her music. We reviewed “Without You” this past summer and still have that hook in our heads. Here’s hoping we can catch her live around town soon!