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Benten’s Newest EP Has Perfected the Soundtrack to Happy Heartbreak
- Brooke Dougherty
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Halfways by benten explores what happens when young love is clouded by uncertainty, mixed signals, and feelings left unsaid.
Reviewed by: Brooke Dougherty
Creating a Musical Masterpiece from His Bedroom
Originally from Washington, DC, Ben Ironside, aka benten, started out as a producer and eventually began making his own music in his bedroom. Now based in Chicago, IL, benten’s 5-song EP halfways explores the liminal space between love, heartbreak, and acceptance. At its core, the project captures what it feels like to realize that sometimes love just isn’t enough.
Halfways Invites You to a Layered Heartbreak Experience
On paper, halfways is about the emotional grey areas in relationships. Sonically, though, you’d hardly know it with its bright production and effortless grooves. This emotional contradiction is precisely what becomes the EP's greatest strength.
Starting out with the title track, “halfways” drops you into a relationship where the narrator is stuck between a casual connection and the real thing. His lover’s clothes may still be scattered around his room, but the intimacy he seeks is nowhere to be found.
“Tell me what you want. I just can’t be involved in Halfways. Yeah I need the whole thing. You gotta be upfront. Cause right now I’ve had enough of heartache. Is it already too late?”
Despite the fact that the love is there, a line is being drawn, as he cuts through the uncertainty and demands honesty. “Halfways” is a final push to put everything out on the table, however the cards may fall.
Moving into more emotionally cloudy territory, “hex” paints the picture of a man who is very much under the spell of his lover, but the cracks are starting to show. Musically, “hex” leans into dreamy production and hazy harmonies that almost mirror the narrator’s emotional intoxication. The beat makes it sound like he’s happy-go-lucky about it, but the lyrics tell a different story.
“I’ve never been in love so I know something’s up. This feeling I don’t try (Oh I don’t) Can’t help but wonder why I don’t keep track of time. Whenever you’re beside, it’s like you’ve gone and sedated me.”
“Hex” is throwing all your inhibitions away and free-falling into romantic bliss. It’s taking a leap of faith and following your primal instincts, the consequences be damned.
At first listen, “sidewalk” may sound like taking a leisurely summer stroll without a care in the world. The reality is anything but. In the lyrical undercurrents, sidewalk captures the sinking feeling of unexpectedly crossing paths with someone who once meant everything. The run-in may only last a few seconds, but the ruminating questions you’re left with permeate your brain for much longer.
“I didn’t want to wonder how you’ve been. So I went out and then. Saw you on the sidewalk. 3, 4 seconds our eyes lock. I still recognize that tattoo you got with me a year ago. That summer was a wild one. Broke my heart for like nine months. Just can’t tell if I meant something to you. Or was it all a show. Maybe it’s better that I just don’t know.”
Instrumentally, “sidewalk” is the most somber of the album, pairing the downcast lyrics with dark, electric riffs.
A recurring theme in this EP, “asteroid” solidifies benten’s search for heartfelt connection and his willingness to follow where his heart may lead. Where earlier tracks wrestle with uncertainty, "asteroid" briefly allows hope to take center stage. It's one of the EP's few moments where love still feels worth chasing, even if listeners already know where the story is headed. The song begins with instrumentation reminiscent of a spaceship, reinforcing the song’s cosmic imagery.
“Never been a slick talker. I’m not a perfect boy. Come be my problem solver. You got what I enjoy. Can’t be a window shopper. Don’t need another choice. Impact me like no other.
Baby you’re my asteroid.”
The final track on the EP, “it takes one to know one” describes someone who finally sees the writing on the wall in their relationship. This song is reflecting on your shared history with someone in the final moments, realizing that despite the good times, there isn’t reason enough to stay. With its disjointed guitar picking throughout the song, “it takes one to know one” takes its place as the funkiest of the album.
“It takes one to know one. That’s why I’m going. You can’t fix what’s broken. Lately I’ve noticed you’re drifting away, babe. I can’t keep hope now. We both felt the same thing. But it’s not showing.”
A fitting end to the halfways saga, “it takes one to know one” suggests that sometimes people just drift apart and that growing up also means learning when to let go.
Benten Will Have You Dancing Through the Stages of Grief
From infatuation to coming to terms with reality, halfways is a stripped-back exploration of young love and a search for genuine connection. While the instrumentation remains consistently sunny and down-to-earth, the lyrics tell a tale of sadness, heartbreak, and coming of age.
The title proves fitting as each song wrestles with the frustration of being caught between holding on and letting go, ultimately arguing that real relationships can't stay stuck in the inbetween.
Musically, benten continues refining the breezy bedroom pop sound he's been building over the last few releases. Drawing from artists like Dominic Fike, Steve Lacy, Omar Apollo, MarQ, and Troy Javelona, he layers laid-back guitar grooves, understated production, and sticky melodies alongside the darker lyrics. It’s a perfect EP to put on for a walk around the lake in the summertime.
FINAL VERDICT: Frankly, We Need More
Final rating: 9.5/10
At just under ten minutes, the halfways’s greatest strength is the tension between the laid-back, minimalist instrumentation and the vulnerable lyrical experience. Benten has the ability to make every song feel deceptively light until you actually stop and listen. The hooks feel effortless, and it’s nearly impossible to put any of the songs on without wanting to groove.
The only downside is that this EP ends almost as quickly as it begins. With the exception of “sidewalk” all the songs are under two minutes. The music comes and goes and leaves the listener wanting more.
The EP may only last ten minutes, but benten proves that's all he needs to leave an impression. Because if halfways teaches listeners anything, it's that sadness is temporary, but the vibes are forever.