A look at Boh Doran's "Robot Girl" EP

Photos: Angela Izzo

Without ever wanting to sound dismissive, Boh Doran’s "Robot Girl" is a breezy little compilation that's easy to dive into and easy to digest. it feels perfectly measured in every regard, so perfectly polished and cohesive across its duration that it's only about four songs shy of being a proper full-length album. You literally could not ask for more out of an EP.

"Robot Girl" has an unmistakable tinge of Nostalgia about it. it permeates every verse and every riff by design, as Boh felt it part of a personal statement to embrace the sound of late 90s alternative rock that meant so much to her, though hers feels more playful and cheery than the often melancholic and abstract side that we tend to remember the era for.

Boh Is an avowed producer of her own music, and part of this EP stays true to that, as she shared DAW duties with producer John Spiker, with whom she seemed to have been on the exact same page because my untrained ears couldn't tell you who did what and when if she didn't point them out. In addition to Spiker, B.D. recruited the help of Rob Humphreys on drums and Adam Tressler on Guitar duty.

as impeccable as the technical aspects of the EP may be, they'd be nothing if the music was dull or uninspired, and of course, it is neither, falling instead on the playful side as I mentioned, and having quite a few hype moments that double down on an uplifting emotional note almost every time, which I suppose makes this EP a perfect soundtrack to reminisce during the evenings of these summer days and play right into Boh Doran's avowed agenda.

I hope the music reflects the breezy, fun but still deep, dreamy-nostalgia that I seek in all the art I’m attracted to.

Though Boh confesses to a light-hearted approach, the six-song selection is quite robust and thematically cohesive, always a huge plus for EP's, where you're not necessarily expecting things to go that way. To me, "Robot Girl" subconsciously toys with the aesthetic sensibilities of the budding digital age that the throwback late 90s sound suggests. There's of course the name itself, but some of the more subtle elements across tracks, such as the way vocals are mixed into "Jawbreaker" or the synth elements in "Answer Machine" seem to capture some of that very specific tech-nostalgia without needing any sort of vaporwave gimmick, because the EP is obviously very strongly rooted into alt-rock of the time rather than something a bit more "digital" like Pop.

It's hard for me -even after listening to it over and over to pick a hard favorite out of all six tracks. Every song holds something meaningful and unique about it, if not from a lyrical standpoint then definitely from an aesthetic one. The strongest tracks I feel like would be Answer Machine, followed by Cat's Cradle, and the anthemic masterpiece that is Flagpole Sitta. Listen to them close and see if you agree.

Mass props to Boh for such an outstanding EP and a successful mission. It's almost too good to be true.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born, raised and based. 

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work. Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.