Bosh Rothman - Joshua EP

In 2001, drummer Bosh Rothman, along with his brothers Lawrence and Yves and guitarist Cory Becker, got his start in the band Living Things.  They released 4 albums and 3 EP's, several of which were produced by Steve Albini, before calling it a day in 2011 (they did reunite for an EP and single in 2020).  Following that band, he co-created the band Kill Birds and worked with a wide variety of other artists.  His new EP, Joshua, was inspired by a dark time he was going through in his life.  In his own words, "I slipped even deeper into a dark place. I was eating too much, sleeping all day, and living in constant pain-mentally and emotionally. I needed help".  He said he remembered hearing about how Ringo Starr and Dave Grohl, two of his drumming heroes, dealt with pain and the loss of their bands with music, and was inspired to use that to help himself.  After writing the song "Joshua," which became the title track, he decided to record versions of five of his favorite songs by his favorite drummers, resulting in this six cut EP.  Covers of songs from the two aforementioned drummers open the EP.  For Foo Fighters’ “Big Me” he slows things down in a gorgeous reinterpretation that turns it into a very introspective and vulnerable song.  His take on Starr’s “Photograph” sticks a little closer to the original but gives it more of a rootsy power pop edge.  Rothman calls the title track, and lone original, “a personal letter to himself.”  It’s a stunningly beautiful, very melancholy song with some great vocal harmonies from him, Lily Elise and Andrea Wasse, that lyrically deals a lot with those dark times he had been in and how you can move past them.  While The White Stripes’ “In The Cold Cold Night” is a very sparse tune with Meg’s vocals and very minimal instrumentation, Bosh's take on the song has more of a lo-fi, raw bluesy sound that is not so unlike what The White Stripes were known for.  His take on The Carpenters’ “Superstar” is a stunningly beautiful version stripped down to haunting slide and acoustic guitar with captivating female vocals accompanying his (I was unable to find liner notes, so I'm not sure who the female vocalist is).  The EP closes out with a cover of Father John Misty’s “Real Love Baby,” which doesn’t stray too far from the original, but gives it a rootsier, Americana spin.  Joshua does a great job of marking this new chapter in Rothman's career and is one that I look forward to following.  

(Bosh Rothman - instagram)