Vince Leigh’s Single Review: YOU by The BossHoss
By Vince Leigh (Ex drummer of Pseudo Echo, Tina Arena and John Farnham) of Australian Radio Promotion for Sheldon Ang Media
The BossHoss is a Berlin band that plays a unique kind of modern country-rock fusion and has been progressively carving out a space for themselves on a global scale. Over two million copies of the band’s albums have been sold worldwide, earning them gold and platinum certifications. The band’s album Liberty Of Action even debuted at number one in Germany.
The BossHoss, featuring Alec ‘Boss Burns’ Völkel and Sascha ‘Hoss Power’ Vollmer, blend a country rock veneer with a nod to Las Vegas and Studio 54. They have just released the lead track, YOU, from their upcoming tenth studio album, Electric Horsemen. The BossHoss’s latest offering, YOU, featuring the Dutch country-pop superstar Ilse DeLange, starts with a lo-fi percussive loop that’s as unassuming as a wallflower at a high school dance. It’s got a dance kick that lays down a solid foundation, sort of like that reliable, slightly boring friend you can always count on to hold your hair back after one too many whiskey sours. Then, in comes the vocal—lean, low, and persuasive, like an experienced salesman who knows he’s got a vacuum cleaner you don’t need but will buy anyway. Our Dutch guest, Ilse DeLange, sprinkles in some vocal nuances in the second verse, adding a dash of spice to The BossHoss’s meat-and-potatoes rendition.
Post-second verse, the song pulls up its socks, throwing in some synth and ambient textures to beef up the groove. Then comes the chorus—packed and plush, like a velvet-lined jewellery box. It’s got a hook as simple and effective as a well-aimed one-liner, melding neatly with the chord sequence. Here, the dance elements strut around like peacocks, setting the track apart from the usual country-rock fare. A bridge section follows, after which a few instrumental detours bring us back to the chorus.
So, what is YOU? It’s not quite country rock, it’s not quite dance rock—it’s like a genre fence-sitter, dabbling its toes in both pools while sipping on a pop-flavoured Pina Colada.
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