Who doesn’t love a good soulful americana album? The Red Betty, a Brazilian-born, New Jersey-based singer-songwriter, delivers just that with their album Icehouse. The Red Betty, or “TRB,” crafts a collection of songs that resonate deeply with themes of love, loss, and resilience. In the opening track “Six Feet Under Love,” The Red Betty immediately draws you into an emotion filled story of the struggles of loving and longing, using her impressive vibrato and lilting vocal style to make it feel all the more sincere. The song showcases the tension between vulnerability and resilience in love, with the narrator confessing that despite the hurt and betrayal they’ve felt, they would continue to love the person they’re missing whether the love is reciprocated or not. This mix of pain and acceptance makes “Six Feet Under Love” a haunting and compelling exploration of how love can persist even when all hope seems lost.
The following track, “Black Eyed Susans Way,” is a soulful song about the little everyday reminders of home. For this song, TRB is a 2024 semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition – and it shows. Her unique vocals blend perfectly with the lyrics to create a sense of yearning for home. “Sinners & Believers” is a spunkier song, with lines like “sinners gonna sin” that reminds us of the trend that people don’t often change easily. This song represents many of the themes that course throughout the entire album. TRB takes a slower, more reflective turn with “2-Bit Sermon,” a powerful piece with spoken word elements that stand out as a meaningful midpoint on the album. Using the structure of a church sermon, the track encourages listeners to pause, reflect, and find their own way forward—offering thoughtful reminders like, “find the path that suits you best. Fast or slow, it ain’t matter, right? Just know that life’s a one-time test.” It’s a heartfelt message about not wasting time on things that don’t bring happiness, and it really showcases TRB’s strength as a lyricist and storyteller when it comes to themes of joy and self-worth.
In “House of a Broken Heart,” TRB highlights her stunning vocals once more, this time set against a gentle backdrop of acoustic guitar and harmonica. The song dives into her personal journey of moving on from heartbreak, with her powerful vocals capturing the emotional process of healing with honesty and grace. “Raise ‘em Glasses” shifts the energy with a lively, traditional country-inspired track that’s both fun and surprising. In contrast to the emotional weight of earlier songs, TRB embraces a carefree attitude. With lines like “Ain’t nobody gonna cry my tears, ain’t gonna feel my fears,” she pushes forward unapologetically, encouraging listeners to celebrate their strength. The empowering lyric “Ain’t no men tell me what I’m worth. You gonna tell me my heart don’t work?” makes this more than just a country song—it becomes a commentary on feminism and the importance of letting go of anyone who’s ever doubted or tried to define you, and stepping confidently into your own power. The song ties together themes of self-worth, growth, and leaving the past behind with love and resilience.
The album closes with “The Love I Needed,” a slower, emotional track that reflects on heartbreak and the healing that follows. TRB offers a sense of hope and release, reminding us that pain doesn’t last forever. As she repeats “don’t leave me behind,” the song builds into a stunning final moment—a choir of vocals layered under her soaring riffs and passionate belting. It’s a perfect way to end the album, capturing everything that makes TRB’s music so impactful: vulnerability, strength, and an unmistakable sense of soul.
Written by Alexis Gerbie