Kai Bosch - 'Bodybag'
This latest offering from the Cornish newcomer twists with intensity - finding catharsis in both introspection and chaos.
Kai Bosch, at only 20 years old, has already been causing a stir in his local scene. Having grown up in Polzeath, Cornwall, he ventured off to Berlin at the age of 17 before settling in London. Since then, he has released 2 EPs: Slipping and Spider, both of which have received coverage on Radio 1 and BBC Introducing.
Bodybag has a more mature feel than his past work. The vocals are pristine and intimate and the production is beautifully judged. It is at times chaotic, at times sombre and elegant. Bosch's vocals sit front and centre throughout, addng to the introspective feel of the track - it's as if we're privy to the turbulence of the singers' mind.
A lonely vocal opens with a piano riff that's reminiscent of Light Years by The National. The pace quickens as Bosch sings the chorus hook "Why try for what we had? / Sending love from the body bag". He wrote bodybag about "the beauty of a past life shining through - the memories that still get stuck in your brain... Even if that's not where things ended up". Although the subject matter is brooding and delicate, the track does have a touch of euphoria. As if to say, whilst the past remains the past, it doesn't lose it's beauty. We don't regret it just because it's gone.
After the first chorus, chanted backing vocals are surrounded by cavernous guitars and a pulsing groove, before relaxing back into the original piano riff. Here, though, the piano sits on a bed of strings and a minimal drum machine.
With the final verse come the strongest lyrical passages: "I lie beside you because I have to for my own sake / and I'm too fragile for explosions and a blank slate." A simple, but achingly poetic line that leads to the songs outro, where aggressive guitars and distorting backing vocals bring the song to a close. Said vocals are left isolated at the climax.
Bodybag manages to retain a certain level of originality. The production is slick, but there is a rawness that keeps it fresh. If this is a sign of what's to come from Bosch, I'm listening.
Words by Joe Boon
