ALBUM REVIEW: Duane Betts' Cinematic ‘Isle of Hope’
The warm tones on Isle of Hope, the latest album from Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts of Allman Brothers fame), hit with an emotional resonance that transports listeners through shadows into light. On his second album, the guitarist, songwriter, and singer navigates loss and embraces hope in and songs
Black News 
The warm tones on Isle of Hope, the latest album from Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts of Allman Brothers fame), hit with an emotional resonance that transports listeners through shadows into light. On his second album, the guitarist, songwriter, and singer navigates loss and embraces hope in and songs that move from spacious mournfulness to rollicking celebration.
The album opens with the atmospheric “Heartache,” with its sonic echoes of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe,” George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass,” and Gregg Allman’s “All My Friends.” The song unfolds with a measured tempo that echoes the singer’s sadness before spiraling upward joyously in ringing guitar arpeggios. Bekka Bramlett joins Betts on harmony vocals on “Reckless,” an expansive ode to the ways that love lifts someone from what appears to be a hopeless situation.
