Kai Bosch’s ‘Love, Throw Me A Bone’ presents itself as a refreshing body of work, peering its intimate head into a music scene that often forgets the importance of individuality and character. Whilst the record itself certainly has aspects of a yearning for commercial success, the originality of Bosch’s melodies and lyricism aren’t just polarising, but thought-provoking. Bosch has a legitimate vision for this collection of work and the blunt nature of his dry-humoured, magnetic personality is perhaps the defining factor that will inevitably set him aside from his peers.
‘Love, Throw Me a Bone’ is a record of conflicting emotions and the first track, ‘Bodybag’, articulates this beautifully. Both the contrasting vocal delivery and the explosions of anthemic instrumental mirror the emotional extremities the artist experiences near the end of a toxic relationship that is visibly decaying. While discussing the track, Bosch told the publication Analoguetrash that he has “a vivid memory of hearing [his ex] sing Break The Ice by Britney Spears in the shower while [he] lay in the next room feeling like a corpse” and perhaps coincidentally, the production of another track on the EP ‘Funny’ is strikingly reminiscent of that on the 2007 Britney Spears ‘Blackout’ album, which felt like an intricate but genius touch.
‘Tulips’ has the charm of a haunting melancholy lullaby, it very much exudes the notion that the love Bosch is expressing is no longer being reciprocated, a feeling that will be all too familiar with anyone that’s dealt with an unrequited love. The track is a highlight on the record, the artist has a gift for arranging melodies in such a way that satisfies his listener, however there are moments where his annunciation could be more thorough to ensure the beauty of his lyricism isn’t lost.
On ‘Swans’, both Charlie Andrew and Bosch himself are superb on the production, the song feels admirably vulnerable whilst simultaneously radiating an air of nostalgia. Vocally, the singer has some exquisite falsetto moments here that appear to pull inspiration from the soft phonetic style of well-established artists such as Billie Eilish and Lorde.
With a sprechstimme vocal delivery similar to that of the track ‘Vulgar’ by Sam Smith and Madonna, ‘Funny’ is a welcomed departure from some of the slower tempo tracks that precede it. The song is an angst-fuelled composition that sees the singer directly address his ex-boyfriend and the man he sees as his replacement; there’s a tinge of Lily Allen-esque bitterness present here that is both humorous and relatable. Although ‘Funny’ is blunt and dismissive, it still manages to express Bosch’s anguish of the entire situation, the anger portrayed in the lyricism perfectly encapsulates how the artist felt while crafting the track but by no means summarises his entire outlook on the relationship.
As I referenced earlier, the production on ‘Funny’ feels like the lovechild of Britney Spears’ ‘Gimme More’ and ‘Break The Ice’, the lyricism is delightfully vivid and emotive, the energy is undeniably infectious …and honestly? It’s a breath of fresh air to hear an openly gay man sing directly about his ex boyfriend without any of the pronoun ambiguity that was often required of gay artists when I was growing up, as labels feared alienating their target audience. Whilst LGBTQ+ musicians like Lil Nas X and Troye Sivan are carving their own lane in the mainstream, it’s imperative for young listeners (possibly questioning their identity) to have access to openly gay musicians, who sing candidly about their struggles with their partners, without the ambiguous lyrical sugar-coating that the industry quite often expects.
The project closes with ‘Wish Bone’, an intimate ballad that allows Bosch to showcase his impressive vibrato, which I wish I could’ve heard more of throughout the EP. The track wonderfully concludes the story of a relationship that has left a heartbroken musician pouring his entire soul into his art to enable his own healing and closure. Now thriving with a string of live gigs that appear to be selling out, the Cornwall-born musician will undoubtedly reflect on this record as a gift to those surviving a breakup that they likely never deserved; it’s raw, passionate and at times raunchy in nature. Anyone listening to ‘Love, Throw Me a Bone’ that isn’t too busy trying to heal from their own heartache, will certainly empathise with Kai Bosch, an immensely talented young artist, who clearly deserved better.
Kai Bosch: Love, Throw Me A Bone – Out 26th April 2024 (LAB Records)
Bosch – Bodybag (Official Video) (youtube.com)
