Benedict October is an Amsterdam, Netherlands based indie pop artist who has featured once before on this blog. Way back in the spring of 2021, he hit my radar with his understated anthem Sweet Sister. Fast forward two and a half years and he has made his return to these pages. His latest is an autobiographical and revealing tale dedicated to his father who passed away in 2020. It’s called Insomnia.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Bibian Bingen

The track opens with a beautifully textured and unconventional arrangement with prominent percussion and a rich sense of atmosphere. Benedict’s soulful vocals come in, delivering his characteristic storytelling lyrics that are rich with descriptive detail. It’s great to hear that he hasn’t lost it in the time he’s been away from this blog. In fact, I think his sound has grown even better.

Insomnia is the first single release from Benedict’s upcoming new album And Then The Ocean. You can give the track a listen below.