The Softies
The Bed I Made
FATHER/DAUGHTER
The Softies prove that true friendship is timeless on The Bed I Made, their first album in 24 years. The twee-pop powerhouse formed in 1994 by Rose Melberg and Jen Sbragia put out three straightforward yet spellbinding albums before going their separate ways in 2000 following the release of their Holiday in Rhode Island LP. In the years since, the duo has been navigating the labyrinth of life as it’s brought the grief of losing parents, the self-discovery of moving to a new city, the luminescence of falling in love, and, of course, the continuation of their unbreakable bond.
You can feel Melberg and Sbragia’s symbiotic shine in every second of the new album—it’s as if they never spent a second apart, even though two decades had elapsed. The Bed I Made slouches with the kind of comfort that comes from a chance encounter with an old friend, and it feels like nothing has changed even though everything has. The Softies acknowledge their past on the album, but they don’t rely on it. Instead, through a bricolage of gauze-like guitars and sighing vocals, they expand on the cozy, folk-infused cuddle-core that first captured listeners’ hearts 30 years ago.
Melberg and Sbragia still possess the vulnerability and slice-of-life writing style that gives them the ability to jump from sweet, swooning lyrics on “When I Started Loving You” to wistful yearning on “Tiny Flame.” It never feels rushed or out of place—instead, it mirrors the way our feelings ebb and flow. Even the track “Headphones,” which clocks in at a little over a minute, is nothing short of crushingly sentimental as they croon: “Plug your headphones / Straight into my heart / Listen / Listen / I love you.”
The entire record is infused with a sincerity that’s only accentuated by dulcet and dreamlike harmonies, creating a gentle feeling that briefly makes life feel less scary. Instead, The Softies give tender reassurance that the right people will always show back up, even if there was a time when they couldn’t stick around.
