UPDATE: Turns out Bodywash won’t be playing tonight, with the band tweeting: “really sorry to say that we won’t be able to make this show tonight.”
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It’s Patriots’ Day here in Massachusetts, and there’s a heavy mist in the chilly pre-spring air, typical of the transition from our long cold winters into something a bit more vibrant and colorful. Which all makes a rather compelling backdrop for the music of Bodywash, who pull into town to play O’Brien’s Pub in Allston this evening (April 17). The Montreal dream-pop duo of Chris Steward and Rosie Long Decter arrives fresh off the release this past Friday of sophomore album I Held the Shape While I Could, an expansive record of moody, fuzzed-out guitar-rock that hits all the usual sonic nerve points.
A few weeks back, Bodywash shared the album’s lead single in “Massif Central,” a propulsive house-of-mirrors ‘gazer that should sound massive in the intimate Allston joint. It details the struggle faced by Steward, who was raised in London, who briefly lost his legal work status in Canada due to a typo in a government letter.
“After eight years living in Canada, in the Spring of 2021, a government clerical error caused me to lose my legal status here,” says Steward. “As a UK national, I lost my right to work. My savings trickled away during months where I could do little but pace the corners of my apartment. I was prepared to pack my bags and leave as the life I’d hoped to construct for myself seemed to vanish into a bureaucratic abyss.”
He adds: “‘Massif’ is the sound of wailing into a cliff and not knowing if you’ll hear an echo. The spoken word is inspired by a squirrel that was trapped in the wall behind my bed, clawing its way to salvation. With the help of friends, family, music, and a few immigration lawyers (and the rest of my savings), I’m now a permanent resident here. But this song remains as testament to my experience with an exploitative institution.”
Immerse yourself in the sounds and stories of Bodywash, both below and tonight.
BODYWASH + THE DREAMTODAY + THE SPEARMINT SEA :: Monday, April 17 at O’Brien’s Pub, 3 Harvard Ave. in Allston, MA :: 8 p.m., 21-plus, $12 :: Event info and advance tickets
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