Dan Bettridge - “Blame"

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 4

Pairs Well With…Hozier, Marc Cohn, Dan & Shay

Combining emotional singer-songwriter, country rock, and indie pop tones, Dan Bettridge covers a surprisingly wide range given his mostly somber tone throughout his 2018 debut full-length Asking for Trouble. A reflective record that’s like Southern rock stripped down to its roots, the Welsh artist twist that sound by averting swampy/gritty directions for a soft pop croon with overflowing, gospel-infused soul. While Asking for Trouble sounds of an artist in the midst of discovering his own sound, he hits more often than not especially when he gets into mild dream rock territory like on “Blame” and 2019 follow-up single “Hollywood Forever”. (Kevin McStravick)