CD: Hannah Bethel – The Freedom EP

Hannah
Bethel
The
Freedom EP
 Product Details
No Where Left to
Roam   3:21 Hellbent & Southbound   3:44 Little Blue Flowers 4:01
If I Don’t Love
You Anymore 4:18 Medicine

Upon
first glance, this album seems like it’ll be quite easy to review; five songs,
a singer I’ve never heard of, a simple title, etc. If I could be so lucky it’d
be nice. After the last few nights of writing, editing, formatting, and putting
together digital files, not to mention the publisher meetings and readings I’ve
been busy. I’ll soon see.

            Hannah, I hope she doesn’t mind me
calling her that, after all it’s only our first date. No Where Left to Roam opens it up. Hold on a minute. Let me
readjust my volume. Our blind date has seemed to get off on the right foot.
Forget about an easy home run, No ‘wham-bam thank you ma’am,’ this may be a
little more difficult than I thought. I’m giving it to a really big critic, and
I don’t do this for every review I write. But after my first listen I can tell
Ms. Bethel is a lady.

Yup, the critic agrees. My seven year
old daughter even tried to sing along with her first listen. The song opens up
with an acoustic. There’s a fiddle that slowly pushes, guiding it a long with
strong vocals and a solid bass. I’m not about to rush to judgment. Who knows?
She may be a ‘one hit wonder’.
Hellbent
& Southbound

is driven by the fiddle. It has that evil sound that rings throughout the
vocals. You know that “Devil Comes Down to Georgia,” feel plus that galloping guitar
made famous by Chet Atkins and The Man in Black himself. Little Blue Flowers is completely different than anything else on
this album so far. Okay, maybe I’ve only heard two songs, and I’ve never heard
anything from her before. But, that deep country twang has made a leap over to
almost a different pad altogether. It almost seems to be leaping into the pop
music realm. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still there just a bit softer.

                If I Don’t Love You Anymore is one of
those late night drowning in a glass of bourbon songs. The kind where the
lights have come on and you’re the only one left. It could also be one of those,
‘oh, I fked up songs.’ And, Medicince
picks up the mood again. It’s a good way to leave the album. For my own taste, medicine is a bit too boppy.
                Altogether,
the album, for the amount of songs displayed, is a good mix. It really shows a
lot of talent. After listening, I went and checked her out online. Her website
itself has your normal biography and press release sections. The one thing that
I found out that was different than most other albums is that the lyrics for
each song are on it. My advice to readers is try to listen to the album if you
can, and then go back and check out the pictures, videos, etc. The only reason
I suggest it is that you can really get an appreciation for the rhythms,
vocals, and lyrics. Don’t just take Ms Bethel as another pretty face. Trust me,
the whole package is there.
                I’d
have to recommend this album as just a teaser about what’s to come during her
career.  No Where Left to Roam and Little
Blue Flowers
are definitely my favorite songs here. If you don’t want to
take my word for it, she has a video for No
Where Left to Roam
on YouTube. I suggest you check it out.

Jeremy Frost for Country Music News International

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