Bethany Jean Conroy : Haunting & Mysterious

Earlier this evening I decided to do a cover of David Bowie's "Starman". While waiting for it to uploaded I went about Youtube, looking around at other "Starman" covers when I stumbled on Bethany Jean Conroy. Starting with the scratchy, edgy acoustic guitar, I wasn't too sure how much I was going to like the cover. And initially I wasn't particularly impressed by Bethany's vocal either. But, within a few seconds she just drew me in. I thought it may be due to her black and white video, enhanced by her glaring eyes, but after listening to the track with my eyes closed for a while, I knew it was something more. Her look, her voice and her whole aura drew me into this haunting cover of "Starman". Have a listen to this and see how you feel about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rOPXg3F6a8

Strange, isn't it? It has something thrilling about it, and the simple approach Bethany takes to the song is only enhanced by how slowly she takes on each word and each chord. She definitely took it in a slightly different direction than most, but I really dug it. I think Bowie himself would do. I knew the song would sound good stripped down, but I never thought how haunting it could be until I felt Bethany's cover.

After I subscribed to her channel, which you should have done too, I went through a bunch of her covers. There were a lot of great ones there, but I guess the one that really caught my attention was of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", as performed by Jeff Buckley. She did the whole intro and everything on guitar, and once again had a certain something about her that could draw anyone in. I'd love to see her live, she seems the sort of artist that makes everyone shut up. Check out this stunning cover!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45DTw7N4ezs

Beautiful, right? There's a certain dullness to her guitar strings that just gives her a really unique sound. Sounds just right for the song. Once again, really haunting, and once again Bethany's got that look, that sound and the feel to draw any conscious person in. One thing is for certain. Bethany's look and sound match up perfectly!

And, beyond her stunning, haunting and magnetic cover, Bethany writes originals that truly take your breath away. Maybe not in a very happy sort of way, but in a deeply frustrating sort of way. But that's not a bad thing. I always felt that music was medicine for the soul. You can definitely get addicted to something for too long, but if used correctly, medicine can cure you. Feeling sad, feeling blue? I think Bethany would be perfect for that. However, to contradict what I brought up previously, I always felt that when you indulge in "too much" of something, you break through into an alternate space creatively. I feel that is the case with Bethany, whose songs reflect so much of her soul. The song I'd love for you to have a listen to is called "You And Your Mind". Unfortunately, I was unable to find a page for her on Facebook but did come across a Myspace page you could check out. Check back tomorrow for another fantastic artist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHXL7ySJHBA

Alex Hamel