Betsy And The Reckless – Salty
(Independent)
Reviewed by Tim Gruar.
Betsy and the Reckless (Maki Phillips, Justin Rangi, Riley Smith) are a Taranaki Based four piece who make gutsy, gnarly RnB with Kiwi roots. As a live band, audiences connect with their themes, and, of course, Betsy’s smouldering lead vocals. Founded in 2020 and fronted by the fearless and audacious Betsy Knox they make modern soul, blues and ska, with a nod to the past and references to the now – mobiles and tinder dates. Knox’s voice has a smoky residue to it. It’s timeless, like some old ‘soul’. You think of Janis and Jo Cocker (minus the three packs a day).
‘Salty’ could well be the tone of these slightly bawdy themed tracks. The single ‘My Baby Don’t Know’ starts off with a swaggering swamp-skank confession about a cheating boyfriend who texts other women.
That’s followed up by the revenge smack down – ‘Crazy Rager’. A cougar claim, backed by some down’n’dirty Rhodes and grinding guitars.
With a nod to the construction of Goodshirt’s ‘Sofie’, we return to telephone antics with the brooding ballad ‘Blank Phone’ about a doomed online dating scenario. Betsy displays her heart conflicts on her sleeve, and you know that although she wants it, this man is toxic: “Fate hooked us online, too good to be true. Your just my kind of fight.” Gotta love writing like that.
Picking up the tempo ‘You’re A Vibe (Can’t Explain It)’, is another bad relationship song. Knox is in full swing, outlaying how she was drawn in, again and again. But she wants out. Or does she? It’s the age-old rock cliché – attraction to the bad boys. “Your single bed became yours. My heart got stuck in your dirty paws.” I like this track. Structurally, it reminds me of Alicia Keys. But vocally, it’s Joplin. It shows Betsy in all her determined, passionate glory and she doesn’t hold back either. It just needs the 70’s production treatment to really finish it off.
Another single, ‘Ghost’ gives a satirical comparison between ghosting online and a real haunting. And the third single from this collection, ‘Liar’s Debt (I Lie To You)’ coasts along with a jazzy, skanking vibe. Once again, poor relationship choices and gone-done-wrong happenings inform the lyrics and provide the inspiration. The latter has the big finish. Blazing guitars and a bit of ballsy brass gives it the dirty blues makeover.
Channelling a bit of Amy Winehouse, Knox carries this seven-track selection home with another Camden-town ska stomper called ‘Leaving You Behind’. It’s stuffed to the rafters with brass and bolshie-ness. You can see this one going off live for certain.
As a short album or long e.p. ‘Salty’ feels and sounds like a homegrown live demo. As if it was taped at the best beach party you never attended. Because it probably was. You can hear that there’s a big band party going on inside, waiting to burst out and take over the streets. Nothing wrong with that. This band has the chops to make something big. So, raise a glass for sharing. No doubt they’ll light up a pub or club near you this summer. So go seek them out now before the big-corporates find them. You can say you heard them here first.
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