Alyssa Rallo Bennett – ‘The Pitch’/ ‘Don’t Wake Me’ / ‘Closets’ (2024)
Raised by a poet and a performer, filmmaker and singer-songwriter Alyssa Rallo Bennett was surrounded by an environment of creativity brimming with a love for performing arts. Soaking in the creativity around here, Bennett quickly built a passion for artistic expression and sparked a fire in her heart for music, poetry and theatre. While she began performing in rock bands during college, she found herself using the visual to bring her creativity to the world. As a filmmaker, director and producer, US-based Bennett has gained international acclaim with her films streaming on AppleTV, Tubi, Amazon, etc. Yet, it is not her films that draw our attention – although, I’m seriously considering checking out one of those films on Tubi tonight – it is her musical endeavours that we are about to explore.
Following her critically acclaimed 2022 EP, Anymore, Alyssa Rallo Bennett picks up her guitar, sits down at the piano and tells us stories with her new singles – ‘The Pitch’, ‘Closets’, and ‘Don’t Wake Me’. Returning with these tracks, all released over the past few months, Bennett captures the vulnerability, fragility and complexity of simply being. Shifting from the optimistic hope of inspirational harmony to the depths of tragedy in trying situations, ‘The Pitch’, ‘Closets’ and ‘Don’t Wake Me’ resonate with audiences on an intimate, profound level.
Penned, composed and performed by Bennett, with production and arrangement by Kevin Spencer Kendrick, engineering and mastering by Stephen Kellner – except ‘Closets’ which was mastered by Kevorkian Mastering – ‘The Pitch’, ‘Closets’ and ‘Don’t Wake Me’ each brings a unique slant to the overall theme of finding duality of life in its grit and glory.
Joined by Kevin Spencer Kendrick (guitar and keyboard), Graham Orbe (bass) and Liam Kerekes (drums), with Bennett on piano, ‘The Pitch’ is a slice of indie-folk flecked by vintage folk in the lines of Joni Mitchell and Carol King. Soft, soothing and laidback, but with a deep sense of heartache, ‘The Pitch’ captures the intricacies of “shifting realities and rules to serve the needs of others”.
Sliding with serenity from ‘The Pitch’ into ‘Don’t Wake Me’, Bennett continues to question reality within a rhythmic harmony – almost dream-like. For me, however, it is ‘Closets’ that defines her exploration of life with weighty boldness. Sharp confidence closes the ethereal expression highlighting the complexity of life from sentimental sincerity to tumultuous diversity. Bennet explains:
“The new songs come from grappling with conflict and difficult moments – trying to find some humour, perspective and harmony out of chaos and toxicity…”
Find out more about Alyssa Rallo Bennett on her official website, Instagram and Spotify.
Discover more indie-folk music on The Other Side Reviews Indie Folk playlist:
