bedbug
songs about ghosts

From Boston, Massachusetts, bedbug are suppliers of altpop gold. This is demonstrated no better than in their latest single, ‘songs about ghosts’.

Taken from their forthcoming long player (due on 18th March 2022), this single conjures The Hold Steady and The Frank and Walters with it’s quirky sparkle. After the guitar intro, the drums are foremost in the mix, dry and punchy and with a loose shuffle. Everything else is layered on top, guitars picking out melodies and vocals lazily whipping us along as the song increases in volume. The lyrics are subtle, but with an uplifting hook line that suits the song very well.

Throughout the song, there is a looseness that feels so organic, compared to high-production equivalents. The band is free to move with the feels; something that is being lost to click-tracks and midi-controllers. You need to hear something woody and earthy to realise just how plastic the world can be at times.

I’m a big fan of this kind of stuff. More please!

Bedbug

Written by Fenton on 12th January 2022

Steve Fenton writes in our music, words, and culture categories. He was Editor in Chief for The Mag and covered live music for DV8 Magazine and Spill Magazine. He was often found in venues throughout the UK alongside ace-photographer, Mark Holloway. Steve is also a technical writer and programmer and writes gothic fiction. Steve studied Psychology at OSC, and Anarchy in the UK: A History of Punk from 1976-1978 at the University of Reading.