Singer-songwriter Charlie Bennett’s latest single “Bedbugs” takes the form of a breezy pop-rock song sounding like a cut from an early aughts coming-of-age film soundtrack. Bennett’s latest DIY bedroom pop single is the kind of song that one might hear at a Starbucks circa 2005, in the best way. The singer details his feelings of insecurity in a relationship (“‘Cause I got bedbugs in my mind / And they’re scratching me inside / They go round and round and wear me down”) atop easy-to-listen-to electric guitar riffs and full percussion.
The song fits into the standard sounds of indie pop-rock, and does little to reinvent the wheel — but sometimes the wheel doesn’t need reinventing. One could listen to “Bedbugs” and hear the bedroom pop sounds that harken back to the early pandemic days of TikTok, or one could hear a song that befits the soundtrack of movies such as Mean Girls or Hilary Duff’s A Cinderella Story. Bennett’s lyrics offer a story of insecurity and tumult, but one can also simply focus on the instrumental and enjoy the track just as much. In a music landscape that often exploits nostalgia for emotional interaction with an artist’s work, “Bedbugs” delivers just the right dose without going too far.
You can listen to “Bedbugs” on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
Keep up with Charlie Bennett: Spotify // TikTok // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube
