Goodbye … I’m sorry … I love you … there are a litany of phrases that pack an emotional punch in only a few short words. We use them all the time, in passing, and with varying degrees of sincerity. But as meaningful as these sentiments can be, there are also equal amounts of moments in life, where we watch our opportunity to say them pass. The moments play out like a Hollywood movie reel, in slow motion. A significant life event occurs, we lose a loved one, we fall in love, or we find ourselves out of control, and like a crescendo in a powerful symphony, our moment comes, but for whatever reason, the words are stuck in our throat. We miss our chance.
The second EP release from acoustic rocker Benny Bassett is a collection of variations on this theme, titled “Words for Yesterday”. Each song, presents a different scenario where the actor, maybe the artist himself, is lamenting the inability to say what needed to be said. Whether it is a fleeting chance at love in “From You”, or the gut-wrenching apology in “Window to Forever”, Bassett attempts to illuminate the process of recovering from inaction. “This record is about a collection of moments where we either wish we had taken the opportunity to act, or where we try to act, but the moment has passed, or the intended audience has moved on”, says Bassett. What he found through the time leading up to the creation of this album, is that “you start to doubt yourself, and your ability to live in the moment as a genuine being … you relive this quintessential life moment over and over, and try to chase down what you should have done. It can be self-defeating, depressing, and ultimately it can take a long time to realize your opportunity is gone.”
