Bennett Heidelberger - “Wood Ducks”
From Nashville, Tennessee, Bennett Heidelberger has sent us the remarkably heartfelt, pot of indie folk gold, “Wood Ducks.”
The track carefully traverses the landscape of grief, with Heidelberger penning “Wood Ducks” upon the loss of his mother, as well as the simultaneous end of a six-year relationship. And though great darkness has brought this song to the surface, we are honored to soak our spirits in its lo-fi and intimate existence.
“Wood Ducks” begins with a voicemail, presumably from Heidelberger’s late mother, set beneath a swelling soundscape of ambience. It is not long before Heidelberger’s vocal arrives, carefully double-tracked and melancholic above the astoundingly lo-fi sounds of an acoustic guitar. The tune is immediately moving, and we will likely never do it any justice by reviewing it here.
As the song unfolds, additional elements arrive to flesh out the arrangement, including some deep bass and a gentle beat. These new sounds enable “Wood Ducks” to earnestly crescendo, with additional layers of vocals flooding the far reaches of the sonic space. The song comes equipped with a dynamic break, letting the listener bask in some wondrous moments of ebb and flow before climaxing with another elevation.
“Wood Ducks” nails our preferences for analogue-infused folk music and we sincerely hope that it brought Heidelberger some semblance of catharsis. Be sure to do your part and press that play button, as you may, indeed, find some closure of your own.
-HD