It’s exciting to hear a band or artist just “get it all right” with a song. Sure, these things are open to interpretation and are subjective, but I trust my Uncle Ears to know a banger when I hear one.
“Pillar On The Bridge Of You” by Bodega is a banger.
I want to be a pillar on the bridge of you. Semi trucks rolling over me. Carry your load in a map with wheels. Orange shapes where you’re gonna be. He only said ‘I love you’ Two thousand leagues underneath the sea. But I’m gonna show I love you When my back lifts you up that street.
https://bodegabk.bandcamp.com/album/broken-equipment
The notes that accompany the video on YouTube add some background to the development of the tune.
“Our band, for the most part, has avoided pop’s universal subject matter, love, not because we think it an unworthy subject but because I haven’t been sure how to approach it in BODEGA’s style. I wrote the kernel of the lyrics in 2016 but didn’t set them to a finished song until working on the BROKEN EQUIPMENT album in 2020 (where I discovered the descending riff which seemed to evoke the euphoria of a new crush).” — Ben Hozie
As a newbie to the world of Bodega, “Pillar” works well as an entry point for me. The Cult (band) -ish guitar riffs, the lead vocal, diving deeper into the lyrics…it all comes together so well. A quick tour of the rest of the LP suggests different styles and vocal approaches. This is a band with multiple talents and an appetite for variety.
“Pillar On The Bridge Of You” would fit right in back in 1980’s college radio. That’s about the biggest compliment I could give. For anyone who avoids love songs because they make you cringe, here’s your chance to be cool with romance, at least for 3:17.
LINK: https://bodeganyc.tumblr.com/
UNCLE EARS is a music blog written by David Falk. davidrfalk@gmail.com David was born in 1962 and gravitates towards melodies, adventure, unsigned artists, fresh discoveries. He trusts his ear to know what it likes and loves sharing what he finds. He lives near Seattle, WA, USA.
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