Bellsy (Bella Crump) is a well-known drummer in the local Tucson, AZ music scene.
On a lazy Monday, while testing out a new drum mic setup, she recorded and mixed this song – her first ever official release.
You can hear every strum, every lip smack, and every drum hit in this track. Wide panning and a crisp, clear mix with loads of space create a whimsical atmosphere. This is a feast for the ears, and a must for fans of ASMR!
From the very first bar, the melody has a loose, funky feel, and as it develops, it starts to wash over you. I think this is a song with an old soul, and I thought some of the melodic ideas & chords sounded distinctly ’60s-inspired.
Bella has a warm vocal with loads of character, but has not been held out high above the instruments (as is often the case). Here, she has been mixed subtly lower, meaning that the vocal sits in amongst the instruments, surrounded and protected. It’s a great sound, and when you add in the lush, layered Beatle-esque backing vocals (No-Where Man, anyone?!), it really feels like a textured tapestry.
Whether Plastic Flowers is about difficult relationships, a fear of loss, or (given the final, repeated, curveball of a line: “I’m not safe alone in this house”), something even darker, Bella now has to live up to the high expectations set by this fantastic debut single. A nice problem to have.
Plastic Flowers is out now.
Written by Grubby
