Hannah Wyatt - ‘underground’
At this point, we have made it quite clear that we favor raw, stripped-back music where the singer has no room to hide behind modern production tricks. And if you also crave that honest and natural sound, look no further than Hannah Wyatt and her brand new EP, underground.
We could tell you all about how Wyatt has been playing music her entire life… Or how she has a degree in music production and recording… Or we could list any number of her accolades, but it still will not prepare you for the way that her songs will reach directly into you and deeply resonate with the very fabric of your life. “stop signs” opens the EP, and it literally presents itself as though Wyatt is performing right next to you. Its arrangement is simple, primarily featuring an acoustic guitar and vocal for the majority of its duration. But if emotion were an instrument, this track would contain an entire orchestra.
Wyatt weaves her vocal into the fibers of your brain, eerily reminiscent of Julien Baker (one of our faves), with a tight grasp of vibrato on vocals that are, at times, very little more than a whisper. She learned to play the musical saw for this one, which you will witness at just past the one-minute point. And it is just as glorious as any ghostly slide guitar. About the track, Wyatt adds: ““stop signs” is a confessional about knowing you still have so much you don’t understand yet in the world - it’s scary to take down the facade of confidence, to not make it seem like you have “adulting” figured out. But I think reflecting with our inner child can heal a lot of insecurities and weaknesses moving forward in life.”
And, of course, this review would not be complete if we did not also feature the title track, “underground.” Like the previous song, this one remains very sparse in its arrangement, though a bit more upbeat in its rhythm. Wyatt’s vocal work is just as gratifying, and it appears as though she has double-tracked every word, which sounds like heaven if you have the pleasure of hearing her voice through headphones. There’s a bit of bass in the foundation of the production, which adds some weight and width to the soundscape, but it is not at all difficult to imagine the song as a solo performance (which we would gladly catch on tour).
Soft percussion gently pushes the music forward and there are remnants of what we believe to be an accordion, but the highlight for us is when the vocals climb into a falsetto for the magnificent “oooohs.” In a description of “underground,” Wyatt claims: ““underground” takes a stab at current affairs in world politics and the uncomfortably close proximity we feel towards cold war again. It was inspired by Joe Purdy’s tune about similar topics called “Hard to be a Prophet.” I hope my song makes a few people smirk at the snarky lines in there, but also reflect on how close we could be to something none of us want.”
After you’ve pressed play and fully absorbed these wondrous sounds with your soul, do yourself a favor and listen to the rest of the EP:
-TM