Beta Radio excels at maximizing the allure
of selective harmony. Their songs feature lead vocals that are more than pleasing;
there is a charisma to the voice that demands and commands the attention of
listeners. By itself, the lead voice would carry the song and create a fan base
for Beta Radio. Then, a single line in the lyrics, or perhaps only a portion of a line, introduces the harmony and bring a warmth to the song and the
listener. The harmony exits as quickly as it enters, but soon returns for
another brief appearance.
“Year of Love” showcases the vocals and judicious
harmonization of Beta Radio. The lyrics are included in this post, with the harmony
indicated by italics. The first six lines are a single voice. Even after you’ve
heard the song often enough to know that a second voice is ahead, there isn’t an
urgency to hear the harmony. But after the first six lines have generate contradicting lyrical concern and melodic calmness, there is another layer of
charm in “I thought that any other way.” That charm reappears two lines
later, but this time for only a portion of the line.
The attractiveness of “Year of Love” extends
beyond the vocals. The guitar brings a serenity and the strings (synth?) carry
a quiet sophistication. Brilliantly, the strings fade at 1:45, giving a false
impression that the song is ending before the harmony suddenly awakens with a processing
that increases the lushness of the single. The lyrics are also praiseworthy. In
an explanation of the single, Brent Holloman of Beta Radio tied together politics,
the pandemic, and harm that often is a consequence of ideology:
"I’m writing this a week after the mob attack on the U. S. Capitol building. I watched it all unfold on TV. When I was watching, I kept thinking about how our harmful ideologies cause us to inflict harm on ourselves and each other. I was also wondering: how do we more clearly see our own harmful frameworks when we are inside of them? This song, 'Year of Love,' is about ideology as well. It’s about exiting harmful frameworks, and about finding something even more beautiful on the outside. It’s about how we’re not separate, we’re all connected. It’s about what a year-long pandemic has wrought on us. And it’s telling a story of our own transformation."
Beta Radio is the Wilmington, North
Carolina, duo of Benjamin “Ben” Mabry and Brent Holloman. Earlier in 2021, they
released an EP entitled “Afraid of Love.” Indie Obsessive previously praised the contrasting vocal registers in the title track, so we will post “Don't
Leave Me Behind” below. The song has the feel of the 1970's duo Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina, who also processed strong vocal skills and sometimes used “selective harmony.”
“Year of Love” by Beta Radio
"I’m writing this a week after the mob attack on the U. S. Capitol building. I watched it all unfold on TV. When I was watching, I kept thinking about how our harmful ideologies cause us to inflict harm on ourselves and each other. I was also wondering: how do we more clearly see our own harmful frameworks when we are inside of them? This song, 'Year of Love,' is about ideology as well. It’s about exiting harmful frameworks, and about finding something even more beautiful on the outside. It’s about how we’re not separate, we’re all connected. It’s about what a year-long pandemic has wrought on us. And it’s telling a story of our own transformation."
Lyrics of “Year of Love’ by
Beta Radio
Is this some stranger’s thought I have?
Or an implant, in my brain?
I don't recognize it, but I'm glad
Cause it's what's waking me up from a dream
Before I found out where to look
Before I found out what I was
I thought that any other way
Was desolation for my soul
I prayed for so much shelter from the coming storm
A thread came loose from a seam
And love came near and intervened
And then I felt that old familiar feeling
You remember, the one when the universe walked through you
You let it take the time it took
What a year of love and pain it's been
And we're still writing out the book
About how we get born again
Is this some stranger’s thought I have?
Or an implant, in my brain?
I don't recognize it, but I'm glad
Cause it's what's waking me up from a dream
Before I found out where to look
Before I found out what I was
I thought that any other way
Was desolation for my soul
I prayed for so much shelter from the coming storm
A thread came loose from a seam
And love came near and intervened
And then I felt that old familiar feeling
You remember, the one when the universe walked through you
You let it take the time it took
What a year of love and pain it's been
And we're still writing out the book
About how we get born again
“Don't Leave Me Behind” by Beta
Radio
