Shallow End by Betty Reed: Review

by Gabe Finch November 11, 2022

November 11, 2022

Shallow End by Betty Reed: Review

The Nashville alt-pop artist Betty Reed shares her personal experience dealing with depression with her listeners in her new downbeat single, Shallow End.

Following her previous singles “I’ll Get By” and “Happy” which deal with the theme of the artist’s coping mechanism with anxiety and depression, she gives the listeners another perspective of the complexity depression can have. These songs aren’t supposed to make you feel sad; rather, they should give you a reason to be hopeful and joyful knowing you aren’t alone. When depression kicks in, sometimes it seems really easy to get out of it but the brain refuses to do even the bare minimum. Betty Reeds put this beautifully in with these lyrics-

“I’m aware it makes no sense

I’m drowning in the shallow end

Can barely breathe I don’t know when

I’ll either die or stand again

I’m drowning in the shallow end”

Musically, Betty sets the perfect tone for storytelling with dark ambient keyboard chords sequenced with a faint beat and a distant echoing guitar melody. As her vocals take the center stage and take it forward, she catches the listeners off guard with a crashing chorus. The acoustic guitars combined with her dynamic vocals add a spark to the murky instrumentation that sounds just right and adds that comforting vibe to the song. The reverberating electric guitar solo is another one of the many surprises Betty has hidden in the song.

How the Berklee graduate blends the elements of Pop, Rnb, Rock, and Electronic in her music is just brilliant, and Shallow End is definitely a highlight of her songwriting skills both lyrically and musically.