Betty’s Parish – “Palm Springs”

Betty’s Parish – “Palm Springs” – Single Review

Hmmmmmm…

That’s kind of the thing about fireworks ain’t it?  They only ever last for a short time.  I’m desperately trying to figure this song out and if I’m getting enough of the killer intensity the chorus of this song has.

So let’s see here…Betty’s Parish…workin’ on a new project behind the scenes from what I gather and have read in these notes I’ve got scattered across my dusty desk…and this single “Palm Springs” would be a demo version of what’s to come.  T’ain’t a bad start by any stretch of the imagination, truth be told.

That being said…I dunno…something’s nagging me about this tune and I’m trying to put a finger on what that is.  There are some really strong aspects to it as it stands already, even in its demo stages.  I really like the sleek & sly hooks they’ve got in the verses.  I freakin’ love the raw power they display in the chorus.  As far the pieces they possess as a band…everything seems to check out positively…I like the guitar/bass from Christophe S., the drums from Max K. are quality, and the vocals from singer/songwriter Larkspur Jones are definitely the X factor when it comes right down to it.  Betty’s Parish has certainly got a dynamic frontwoman, and the kind that could lead this whole band to success.  Like I was saying…everything seems decent to me…so I’m just as perplexed as any of you might be in my position…I really don’t know what it is about “Palm Springs” that still feels like it’s missing something.

For a hot minute, I thought maybe it’s the length of the song…as in, maybe “Palm Springs” would work better as a tight three-minute tune, instead of closer to four like it is now.  But you don’t really wanna rush things either, you know what I mean?  I really think the verses are slick…and that part is seriously effective already…I don’t think speeding that up is the answer.  I also love the way that they drift on out of the verses too…I’d keep that as well.  Chorus-wise, Betty’s Parish really flips the switch and lets the mayhem out, and I freakin’ love hearing that happen.  Every time the chorus came back around, I started to think that maybe they could flip the two parts…like, as in, maybe the chorus is really the verse and the verses should actually be the chorus…maybe that would make the difference.  Then I started to wonder if maybe they didn’t have two completely different songs here, and that maybe that was the real issue at the core of it all.  I actually feel surprisingly useless here in assessing this demo – I always tell ya exactly how I feel, but I felt like pinning “Palm Springs” down was among the tougher assignments I’ve had this year.  Do we spend a bit too much time with the verses and that whole slick & sleek vibe in comparison to the gripping intensity Betty’s Parish goes on to display in the energy of the chorus hooks?  That could be it!  I started to wonder if maybe the proportions of the parts in this song were a bit off for my personal taste…maybe that was the issue?

The thing is, no matter how you slice it, you’re on the inside of something that works.  When you’re listening to the verses, you have to admire the fluidity in Larkspur’s vocals and the clever way that the music surrounding her moves.  When you’re listening to the chorus, you’re blown away by the surge of power they summon together as a band, and how convincing that is.  As I listened to each part of this song, I felt like I’d think about the other and consider how it fit…like…I’d be listening to the verses and feel like I was missing the intensity that the chorus came with, and when I’d be listening to the chorus, I felt like I was missing the craftsmanship that the verses possess.  Is it simply a case of me wanting too much or everything all at once?  Us critics are kinda known for being like that…so it truly could be the case.  It might simply boil down to this song needing a bit of the extra sparkle you get from full studio production and it being currently in the demo stages.  Maybe the verses needed a bit of enhancement in one direction or the other…I could see it working out really well if they were a bit more glossy and polished, but on the other hand, I could also hear the potential for things to be dirtied up a bit to match the true grit that the chorus comes with as well…and that could honestly work out for them too!  So what the heck am I supposed to do with this song folks?  I just call things like I hear’em, and you’re literally looking at my entire thought-process mapped out in real-time here while I’m listening to “Palm Springs” on repeat.  I’m sure I sound like a lunatic, but hey, I’ve never proclaimed to have all the answers – all I can ever tell ya is what’s really on my mind.  I think “Palm Springs” has potential to be a solid tune.  I don’t know if I’m hearing something single-worthy here in that typical sense…I think it’s actually a bit more involved & complex than what you’d usually find in something like that by its textbook definition.  They might have themselves a serious winner when it comes to a song that they could crush live from the stage if they felt so inclined…dynamics in the quiet/loud structure they’ve got here can always lead to a significant & memorable highlight, but they can be much tougher to find the right balance for in the context of a recording.  Lyrically it’s sound…musically, vocally, structurally…honestly, I don’t know what the heck I’d change – but there IS something crucial that still feels absent in “Palm Springs” as it stands right now.  Chances are, Betty’s Parish will figure this out on their own when it comes time to shift this song out of its demo stage and into the studio…wait a sec…is it the presence of the bass?  Was that it all along?  It kind of noticeably disappears when they hit the chorus and it goes into a much more treble-up type of mix around that point in the song…which…still works…but perhaps there could be more low-end present to help the two parts feel like more of a match for each other?  You know what?  I’m happy with that!  I think I finally got it figured out!  I’m not saying that’s THE answer of all answers, or that I’m even bringing up something that isn’t totally obvious to everyone else listening already…maybe it was right in front of my ears the entire time and I just didn’t realize it…but I think that’s it…and I hope that helps’em!

In any event…I enjoy a good mystery, so this was fun to examine for me.  The real bottom line is, they’ve got the right pieces in their band to succeed in whatever they choose to do with the talent they have on a collective level, and there’s definitely a song worth pursuing in “Palm Springs.”  Maybe it ends up being a single…maybe it’s simply one of those tracks that strengthens their album…maybe it’s just a song that they light up the stage with for the finale in their set…it could be any of those things once all is said & done…but yeah…I dig what I hear in this tune’s potential, and I can hear they’ve got all the talent they need in their band to take “Palm Springs” to the next level, if that’s what they choose to do with it.

Find out more about Betty’s Parish from their official page at Instagram here:  https://www.instagram.com/bettysparish

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