Singer and songwriter Anne Bennett has recently released a new single “Heavy Hand.” Bennett grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, in a family of esteemed musicians. She learned to appreciate music from a young age. Her earliest songs were recorded in her dad’s home studio. She studied chemistry and biology in college, putting music on hold. However working as a full time scientist she was able to fund her interest in music well. When the pandemic struck she made the choice to attend The Songwriting Academy to follow her musical passion.
Bennett’s sound is authentic and raw, combining the sound of western gothic rock as well as her own struggles with mental health and the aesthetic of her hometown. “Heavy Hand” in particular, along with two other songs, was inspired during a road trip in the southern US. The song, written under dark circumstances, loss during the pandemic, fits well among the family of western rock, capturing the rural gothic aesthetic, and the pressure of its creation.
Listen to “Heavy Hand” below
The song opens with chords strummed on buzzing electric guitar and a hum of Bennett’s vocals over the top. Quickly, the verse opens up with lyrics setting up the central idea of the song, a powerful force lording over a small southern town, the pandemic. The song builds into the chorus, where the intensity seems to drop off a bit, surprisingly, but not without intent and effect. Overall the song, from instrumentation, to impressive production, carries all of the intensity of despair from the lyrics, while still being a catchy driven song.
“Heavy Hand” is an impressively complex and yet deceptively simple sounding song worth listening to again and again. Bennett captures the gothic style she aims for perfectly, and her lyrics are chilling and emotional. If her future music is even half as good it will still be worth the listen.
