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The all-new single from folk-rocker Stephanie Bettman “Beautiful Day” has got critics raving this April, and after spending some time with its melodies ahead of an official release, I feel like the song lives up to its affectionate name. Bettman takes a formulaic rhythm and gives it a sweetened makeover in “Beautiful Day,” and with her stylish lead vocal leading the way, slices through the verses adorning every illustrious pop groove effortlessly.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/p/Stephanie-Bettman-Artist-100063479739991/
Her style is a heaven-sent change of pace for a year that has been leaving a lot of us wishing for better vibes from the FM dial, but it should come as no surprise to those who have been following her career to date.
The percussive parts in this song are right next to the guitars, which are a bit more aggressive in execution, though ironically a bit quieter in the master mix. The strings start a fire in the first half of the track and spend the second tightly bound to the melodic ribbonry that Bettman dishes out at the mic. Her lyrical pillars are firm and yet strikingly soft, but they keep the more abstract elements in this single from drifting into overly experimental territory. Nothing about “Beautiful Day” is fragmented; it’s obvious that a lot of time went into constructing this piece to be well-rounded in tone.
This tempo is light, effervescent, and airier than it needed to be, but it sets the very mood of the song all on its own. Bettman’s vocal pushes back at the ebbing of the percussion in the chorus, and there’s even a moment before the guitar-driven refrain where it feels like they’re both going to come spilling out of the speakers into the room around us. There’s not much oomph in the EQ here, but it’s carefully pushed by a steady production hand nonetheless.
There’s a sense of urgency to “Beautiful Day,” and though it lends to the anxious energy in the beats, the emotion never feels rushed in Bettman’s pendulous singing. She takes her time with the verses, and rather than sounding out of sync with the rest of her band, her vocal sounds like the centerpiece of a worthwhile folk-rock single. Her lengthy skill set is on full display in this single, but I think that her refined abilities aren’t nearly as applause-worthy as her organic tonality and genuinely likable approach to prose.
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/stephanie-bettman/283557458
There’s a lot more to hear out of this singer/songwriter’s solo book, and the potential that Stephanie Bettman shows us in “Beautiful Day” is going to propel her name back into the spotlight this spring. Contemporary folk fans are a hard crowd to please, but this indie-styled fusion of pop melodicism is almost certain to get people interested in what she’s got planned for her next trip to the recording studio. This isn’t her only performance to induce chills among listeners, but it’s the most polished that I’ve heard from her solo discography thus far. All in all, “Beautiful Day” is as-advertised and another win for this highly underrated artist.
Jenifer Munoz
