Chloe Bodur - Panties & Loafers [EP Review]
Harnessing a psychedelia-brushed blend of R&B, samba and jazz, Chloe Bodur’s glossy, groovy debut project ‘Panties & Loafers’ is just as seductive as it sounds.
In the North West London home where she grew up, Bodur was constantly treated to records loved by her Sri-Lankan and Turkish parents. Classic jazz and soul music from artists like Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Quincy Jones were in heavy rotation around the house, and later she would grow particularly fond of the eclectic, genre-straddling sounds of modern game changers such as Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean and Tyler The Creator. It’s little surprise that the 21-year-old singer decided to head down to free-spirited, arty Brighton to study songwriting at BIMM. Wasting no time since, Bodur has already kindly treated us to an impressive debut EP.
The suggestively named ‘Panties & Loafers’ boasts five dreamy songs - a sleepy, steamy selection of lo-fi lit tunes wrapped in a haze of incense-smoke sonics, including singles ‘Reasons’ and ‘Nothing New’. Satin-voiced, Bodur beckons and yearns, fusing sweet and sultry elements to paint a picture of an irresistibly inviting fantasy - an exotic escape peppered with giddy jazz flutes, glitchy piano trills, warm Spanish guitar and vibey bossa-nova beats. This is an unapologetically feminine and lust-filled record that captures the deeply romantic aspects and somewhat mystical nature of female sexuality. Mirroring the time-slowing effects of desire, the record floats along at a restful mid-tempo pace – but Bodur’s use of warm, diverse rhythms maintains a fizzing, flirtatious tension, while her plush vocals and poetic lyrics make her passions palpable.
Other than offering a welcome dose of escapism from our unsexy lockdown lives, ‘Panties & Loafers’ celebrates Bodur’s agency, not only as a young woman but as a mixed-heritage creative. Peeling back the layers to unveil her desires, Bodur demonstrates the empowerment that’s to be found in embracing authenticity in all its forms, giving female listeners a sweet taste of the fun that’s in store when they do so too.