Saint Bodhi Stays True to Herself on the Fearless 'Antisocial'
Photo: Brian Hicks
It's difficult not to feel like we want to listen to Saint Bodhi much more than she wants to listen to us (see the gorgeous cover art of her latest project for evidence). With a temperament befitting a generational muse, her latest effort, Antisocial, feels like a reckless measurement of societal bullshit, a purge of nonsense for genuine feelings, regardless of how sound and uncomfortable that might be. Yes, it is a coffee cup of black girl ownership but it also is ever so true to who Saint Bodhi is: goofy (a lost phone escapade without parallel on "Guide me to the Light"), no fucks given (the whole EP but let "Antisocial" be the summary), candid and unafraid (watch out for the raw fireworks on "get like this").
Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Saint Bodhi was no stranger to strife, suffering issues with housing and in turn becoming defiant not to become another artist condemned to cliche mediocrity. Her songwriting and lyricism convey an empowering message that isn't about generalities; it's about her, and that confidence and prowess is contagious. With writing credits for fellow stars and a comic book to her resume, Antisocial was less about building a shinier alter ego and more about reducing herself to a concentrate, one that in spite of the bitter and acrimony of the ingredients, leaves a powerful, dreamlike aftertaste.
For a woman both early in her career and an admitted gamer nerd, Antisocial is an explosive introvert to extrovert manifesto of feminine energy. And as most proper crescendos begin, it started with listening to herself, taking something good from the bad. That process and maturation is palpable with Saint Bodhi, whose approach seems entirely her own. That process, born of a fusion of tequila shots and long drives along PCH with melodies fluttering in the wind, was also about challenging herself to develop a cohesive narrative, to craft a solid state of work. The stalling nature of the pandemic clearly brought misery, especially after navigating such a difficult path to gain some level of success, but it also truly gave her perspective to do better.
On Antisocial that process brewed a perfect batch of songs about herself, a truthful transparent letter of her anxious openness, a study in both the silly and the sexy. Thats is a tough story to tell well, and the fact that Saint Bodhi does it so well, means even if she's doesn't want to listen to us, we definitely need to be listening to her.
Listen to Antisocial below:
