May 4th, 2013 
Josh Hammond 
Artist: Betty Who
Album: The Movement
Label: Unsigned
Genre: Pop
You can say whatever you want about the 1980s being a disposable decade for music. You can toss around names like Wham and Culture Club all day, but it won’t change the fact that a generation of slap bracelets and Devo hats altered music with a fairly heavy and significant thumbprint. Step back for a second and analyze the structure of the music you’re spinning. Indie artists like Tegan and Sara and Stars and pop icons like Katy Perry and fun. are cashing in off the influence of an often tossed away generation.
With the release of The Movement, Betty Who is lined up to join the ranks of The Breakfast Club version 2.0. Releasing her inner-Madonna, Betty Who puts on the tights and styles her EP to sounds like a modern version of Flashdance. The album’s opening single, “Somebody Loves You,” sports a solid combination of synths and drums under Who‘s dated vocals are stunning. With bold and beautiful builds and perfectly structured hooks the song is all but mass produced for radio play. The proof is the mix. In my humble opinion there is absolutely no reason for this song to fail as a club sensation and heat seeking chart topper.
Who continues down this course with the EP’s second cut, “You’re in Love.” With strong, catchy bass lines the song grabs listeners from the start with a white-knuckle grip. Blasting in with computer-altered vocals before clearing out to clean voice, the song highlights the pipes on Who. There is no questioning her reach and efficiency as a front man (or woman for those of you who think I’m sexist.)
Who reintegrates this point on “Right Here,” the third cut from The Movement. With more of an updated sound, which feels influenced by the likes of Feist or Metric, Who proves to her listeners that she is anything but a novelty karaoke act. The song’s beautiful guitar slips in through the backdoor about halfway through the song, creeping in over the other haunting noises of the song. Though sleepier than the rest of the album, the song remains solid in a whole different manner.
Long review short, Betty Who has all the makings of a superstar. Her lyrics are fun loving and fresh and her songs are composed to be more catching than a collection of flu viruses. With any luck and the right management it might be her song used in a situation like this.
SCORE: 8/10
Review written by: Joshua Hammond
- REVIEW TIMES TWO: Kevin Devine – ‘Bubblegum’ & ‘Bulldozer’ - October 21, 2013
- TLC Return With New Album, Biopic, and Surprise Announcement - July 25, 2013
- REVIEW: Driver Friendly – Peaks + Valleys - June 11, 2013
Posted in 
Tags: 