Born out of the death of Robert Tilden’s old band in 2016, his brainchild Boyo remains his outlet to create danceable psych-pop that balances a sense of both whimsy and wistfulness with ease. His latest studio effort “Echoes Like Memories” is eclectic, spanning genres across its track-listing. Still, in its inability to have a simple label slapped on it, it hangs together as one cohesive collection, fitting more hooks into a single song than lots of people can dream up for an entire album.
A breakup, a scrapped album, a sold-out tour, kidney stones, and collaborative song writing are all the genesis of BOYO’s funky, psychedelic new LP ‘Echoes Like Memories’. After his relationship’s romance faded, Rob Tilden (BOYO) embarked on a tour with bedroom-pop contemporaries Luna Luna in November/December of 2021: playing sold-out shows on the West Coast and in the South, reinvigorating Tilden’s love of playing more ‘upbeat and funky tunes’ that get a crowd moving. The only problem was, he had already completed an album to be released in March of 2022 and it was full of depressing, meditative emo songs that Tilden felt less and less connected to.
With only a month to turn in what he envisioned as a “short, poppy batch of greatest hits” Tilden holed up in his usual basement studio now equipped with slightly better gear and a reel-to-reel tape machine. With the song writing and arrangement help of his live bandmate Hudson Buckley on half of the songs, the record took shape over the course of three weeks. The momentum couldn’t be stopped by bouts of insomnia, a rough round of kidney stones from dehydration, and a false COVID19 positive from a bum home test.
The very detailed musical side of things catches the ear even more when paired up with Tilden’s soft, layered vocals, making their entrance on each track like a ghost whispering in your ear at your friend’s party while you’re dancing. Combined, each element adds up to a fun, often pretty full-length that charms much more than it haunts
released March 11, 2022
The Fat Angel Sings 