bôa is back and stunning
new music after 14 years
Bôa, if you didn’t already know, is an alt-rock band that has recently(-ish) been propelled into popularity by their song “Duvet” that blew up a few years ago despite being released a decade earlier. Although they haven’t released anything since the album that features “Duvet,” this newfound popularity has been able to bring the band back together to start making music again. They’re even going on an almost completely sold out tour this fall, and now they’ve released three new songs. I absolutely loved the songs and wanted to write about them, although sometimes my excitement hampers my ability to feel like I’m writing coherently. Anyway, read on for my thoughts on the new songs.
Overall, all three songs sound like they were plucked right out of the time the band was writing their first two albums in the 2000’s. It’s a great comeback after such a long hiatus that you have to appreciate how well they picked up from where they left off so many years ago. It’s natural for sounds to change as any band matures, but I’m glad that theirs didn’t change too much as I already loved their previous sound. Any fans of their first two albums are guaranteed to enjoy the new stuff.
In typical Bôa fashion, Jasmine Rodgers stuns with her vocals, starting off the song “Worry” before the instruments kick in. Each layer — the vocals, the drums, the guitar — have their own special feel that allow them to both stand out and melt perfectly into the other sonic layers. The lyrics describe the relatable, anxious feeling of worrying about worrying. Background harmonies create depth that allow you to sink into the song, creating a sort of echo that mirrors the echo of worrying about worrying.
“Beautiful & Broken” has a less powerful and more vulnerable feel. We’re moved from the passionate proclamation of anxiety (and perhaps even anger) in “Worry,” and we go into a song of wishing you could rise above your situation but allowing yourself to be cared for by others. It’s not wanting to need that extra help, but allowing yourself to receive it. I think it’s a great follow up to the prior song, first belting out about the feeling and then soothingly singing about ways to cushion yourself from it. It slows you down and makes you calm yourself, like a weighted blanket of sound.
“Walk With Me” combines elements of the first two songs, holding on to the musical style of “Worry” and the vulnerability of “Beautiful & Broken.” It also changes things up, taking us away from the anxiety of the first two songs as the lyrics seem to convey the sentiment of wanting to be around that one special person. This mixture of relating back the first two songs and having its own special twist make it a good ending for the single. As has been the case for all the songs on this single, each layer of the song knows when to stand out and fade back in to allow each sound to help build up the atmosphere created by the band.
That’s one of the great strengths of this band, in my opinion — their ability to create such a strong atmosphere. I can’t describe it in any other way, but they have such a great ability to pull you into the music and make you really feel all of it. I am so beyond excited that they are releasing new songs because, to me, everything they create is a masterpiece. I’m looking forward to a potential new album (?) since they’ll be touring this year as well, and tours and albums tend to come hand in hand.
Let me know what you think of their new songs! I’m hoping everyone is loving it as much as I am because the band really deserves it. They’re definitely one of my favorites.