Sunday, January 10, 2021

‘Honey Bee’ Bethy – Single Review

UK-based alternative singer-songwriter Bethy hits the mark with her latest dark-pop offering. ‘Honey Bee’ is the third track from her debut album Utopia! released earlier this year on 4db Records.

To sum up ‘Honey Bee’ in just one word, it would be “mesmerising”. Bethy’s soft, Eilish-esque vocal drifts over a beautifully arpeggiated guitar melody, drawing the listener in to a pink dreamscape from the very first line. Bethy laments, “my honey bee, like the seasons change we can’t remain the same”. Her voice drips with honey, all sweetness without being sickly, demanding that the listener stop what they’re doing and listen. 

She sets the nature theme early on, referring to shedding leaves and old oak trees, but what is interesting is how all of this natural imagery is tempered against completely unnatural instrumentation. Soft synths and pads pull the listener into a reverie, whilst that electric guitar carries steadily on, creating a trance-like atmosphere and lulling us into a false sense of security.

After all, this could not be described as a happy song, with lines like “one day we will all be dead”, but Bethy’s voice is a soft cocoon, gently soothing any fears with the simple instruction - “baby don’t fret”. Doused in dreamy backing vocals, we know we are not alone as we walk through this dark world with her, no matter how many thunderstorms may roll in. 

Despite ‘Honey Bee’s’ dark message there is a whisper of hope, because “you’ve been here before and you’ll be here again”. As her lyrics deliver a promise of reincarnation, so does her instrumentation, which feels as though it could go on forever without getting tired. In the song’s accompanying music video, we watch Bethy board a plane and go on her travels, but we never know the destination. 

Perhaps her journey is reflective of how the song details the circle of life, as we never know where we are going or may end up, there is just the quiet promise that everything will be ok.


Ellie Insley

@ellie_insley

Image: Facebook

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