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Photo By: Jessica DiMento  

Self-awareness is a painful commodity. It can rarely be undone - the proverbial thought impossible to unthink, sight that cannot be unseen, words that cannot be unsaid. Annika Bennett’s newest single “Sober Up” wrestles with this dilemma - the push and pull of innocence and experience that builds our character but denies us the “blissful ignorance” of youth. “I was trying to capture the feeling of missing a younger, simpler version of myself who hadn’t been forced to face her flaws yet,” said Bennett. “I feel like there’s a period of time in young adulthood where you’re asking questions you don’t have the answers to, and it’s scary.”

Bennett’s worldliness is obviously informed by her prodigious upbringing. In her adolescence she fronted an all-girl rock band in NYC before a short stint at NYU. She then moved to Nashville and became a fixture in the DIY house show scene.

Her songwriting depth has a keen observational edge, a perception that beguiles the listener into feeling comfortable. This is despite the existential pangs of the lyrics. It’s a skill not innocently earned, even if Bennett makes it seem as such.

If “Sober Up” proves anything it’s that much is to be expected from Bennett’s future canon. “We all have to face ourselves eventually,” she said, “but sometimes it feels better to ‘work it out tomorrow.’” I think her audience will have to grant that Annika Bennett’s loss of innocence is better for our enjoyment today.