Album is available May 21st
Words do not fail me when it comes to what I experienced listening to Cosmicoma. Excited, surprised, ecstatic is but a few of the emotions I felt. Betty Moon’s self-produced eight-track Cosmicoma is a refreshing hybrid of rock, Latin, hip-hop accompanied by a chameleon-like voice; one moment it is soulfully soft, the next minute Betty comes at you vocally with lots of attitude. The results are an epic collection of multiple hit singles.
Beginning with “Black Bloods,” the track opens softly then goes hard but still soft enough that it doesn’t overpower Betty’s powerful voice. The ferocious drumming though, complimented by heavy guitar licks and a sweet-sounding bass are high points on Cosmicoma. It’s followed by the very strong single, the infidelity themed “My Only One.” Telling it like it is from anyone’s point of view — male/female — the lyrics are ingenious for keeping it genderless. Betty’s vocals are calm, almost holding back from belting out how pissed finding out you’re not the only one, as she says in her lyrics. It’s almost like Betty is saying “I’m not giving you the satisfaction of seeing me get angry then taking you back.”
After the honky tonk inspired “Give You Up,” the very metal sounding influenced “I’m A Mean Girl” has Betty again keeping calm vocally (mostly), letting the metal guitar do all the talking but believe me, you do hear Betty forcing her voice center stage by song’s end. In a surprising departure, Betty’s cover of Babe Ruth’s “The Mexican” works extremely well amongst these eight tracks. The track is given a heavy rock makeover, but the Latin/Afro style is kept alive, and you hear the rock and soul being belted out superbly by Betty, really the first time on Cosmicoma we hear what a powerful vocalist Betty is.
On “Where My Heart Is” you hear how much Neil Young’s “Heart Of Gold” heavily inspired this ode to being home, which doesn’t compare to any of the places Betty has been, from Tokyo to the golden coast. It’s all nice but it’s not home. And finally, on “Screamatorium” is where we hear Betty go rock goddess on us. If Joan Jett went metal, this is how she would sound but Betty nails the vocals, the screaming, the heavy guitar and banging drums. This song gives you permission to go loud and kick ass. That is what Betty Moon’s rock hybrid Cosmicoma does virtually for its entirety… kick ass.
Cosmicoma is available May 21st at Apple Music. The effort is Moon’s 10th studio album and is the follow-up to her much buzzed and highly praised 2020 release Little Miss Hollywood.
