BeThisBell - Shine On! EP REMASTERED (2025) - 6 family friendly uplifting songs for the whole family!
BeThisBell – Shine On! EP REMASTERED (EP Review)
OFFICIALLY RELEASED ON JANUARY 8, 2025
By Grace Bradford, Music Review World (Jan. 13, 2025)
A regular on this platform, BeThisBell, returns once again with a wonderful addition to their artistry. If you’re late to the party, BeThisBell is an American alternative band that’s well-known for their authenticity, ferocity and penchant for composing music that breaks the monotonous nature of music that’s typically associated with the ‘alternative rock’ umbrella these days. If you would like to know more about their detailed history and the inner workings that make up this current outfit, feel free to click here.
In today’s review, we will explore the addition to the current grind of BeThisBell’s releases with a release titled ‘Shine On! REMASTERED’. It is a 6-song EP, with songs that have a slightly different tone to albums like ‘The Red Album’. It is filled with family-friendly tracks, described by the main vocalist BeTh IsBell as songs that have hopeful and uplifting messages. This is a deviation from the typical jazz-laden affair and strong message that characterizes the band itself, and it is very intriguing to experience a different side of their artistry. Do they have what it takes to appeal to this particular market? I think so, and I hope that by the end of this review you think so too.
Within the first few seconds of this album, it is pretty apparent which direction this release goes in. It definitely has a much more subtle, emotionally deeper and vulnerable tone, but it actually does not lack any of the intensity you’d typically expect from BeThisBell. It contains songs that have a bluesy undertone emanating within the layers of multiple melodic tracks, and even through the bass pattern and the main vocalist’s delivery. It has an extremely dynamic tone in terms of storytelling, taking you through an episodic journey as you listen to the track- it is not monotone at all. It has an edge within the choruses of its songs, just slightly more dampened and mastered to elevate the deeper tones of the songs instead of letting the harsher tones overtake the release.
I find the mastering of the main vocalist quite significant within all of these songs, I feel like it really accentuates the forthrightness within the vocalist’s vocal tone. It’s almost as if it has a slight vintage filter over it. Another interesting factor about this release is the true detail applied to the mastering techniques within these songs, as they contain all kinds of eccentric and necessary tricks to turn the listening experience into a three-dimensional one, such as applying slight delay and gate to the guitars.
One thing that also truly sticks out is how well the electric and non-electric stems of each guitar melody merge very well in each track, without one overpowering the other. A lot of intricate work has evidently been done to balance each segment, giving the EP a very balanced feel at the same time. I think this also goes along with the ‘family-friendly’ theme associated with this particular release. Even though other interpretations of this album have bared comparisons to existing artists, I feel like this EP honestly is too unique to be compared to other acts. Yes, other alternative rock acts try this approach to music with a mellower, emotionally potent approach, but I just think BeThisBell’s level of musical variability and detail supersedes the need to compare it to any other acts.
This would also serve as a good introduction to the band if you’re not intrinsically tuned to more grunge, punk-esque acts. All in all, a great release that maintains harmony without skimping on emotional intensity and musical variability.
SCORE/Excellent: Once again, BeThisBell comes up with a release that is extremely proficient and satisfies a central aim, in this case, emotional intensity and a different approach to their typical repertoire of rock music. You will be left listening to ‘Shine On! Remastered’ with a poignant appreciation for BeThisBell.
EP Review by Kev Moore - Witch Cross (UK):
BeThisBell
Shine On!
This 6 track ep is a revelation.It’s got more hooks than an overstocked fishing shack.
There’s an understated laconic delivery to the opening track ‘Work it Out’ - interspersed with some tasteful bluesy guitar. The song has a hypnotic revolving chord structure that draws you in. It’s electric, with just the right underpinning of acoustic to fill things out. I like the contrast between the one note outro solo and the more florid guitar fills that pepper the track.
Then we have ‘We Are The Gods!’ Which is hugely reminiscent of Blue Oyster Cult and would sit comfortably within ‘Agents of Fortune’ It’s a great song that actually doesn’t need the Space Oddity section - it can more than stand on its own. A nice scorching slide solo over a different riff takes it elsewhere. It’s a quite majestic track.
Next up, the title track. The chorus is steeped in British new wave but its plunged into balls out rock with a Wah Wah solo that is pure 70’s - in a good way.
‘In This Moment ’ is a shuffle of sorts - like Black Velvet on acid - Beth’s vocal is full of anguish in the verse and then soars in the self affirmation of the chorus, backed with the ‘love love love’ descending refrain - hooky as hell. Lovely blues licks coil around the track, lifting it.
‘Love Sublime’. Lots of space in this track - Bowiesque, and maybe a little Roxy too. But just when you think you have a handle on it, it gets funky .. it’s constantly moving and once again the guitar - a feature of this ep - lifts the song a little higher. The drums enjoy switching fills on the chorus.
‘Love Tonight’ instantly creates an atmosphere- and you’re in the movie - the ghost of Lou Reed lives here. A hypnotic electric piano and an interestingly sparse drum pattern is augmented by a buzz saw cello and then suddenly it’s stripped back again.
After one spin, you’ll be singing these songs, and surely that’s what it’s all about.
-Kev Moore (Witch Cross)
