Boss Tape turns eight Bruce Springsteen songs into a small, close-up band performance built around Nicholas Krgovich’s keys and singing. The familiar titles include “Hungry Heart,” “I’m on Fire” and “Dancing in the Dark,” but there’s no attempt to recreate the full E Street scale. Julia Chien’s percussion, Julia Chirka’s bass clarinet and singing, and Thom Gill’s guitar fill out the original keyboard-and-vocal sketches without crowding them. The result feels direct and lightly made, with the parts left clear enough to hear how the songs are being held together.
The Vancouver pop musician began the project after seeing Springsteen in 2024, learning all eight songs in one afternoon before turning the quick guides into a finished tape with the two Julias and Gill. Those first keys and vocals remain at the centre, recorded between home and the Wise Hall, with Matthew Barnhart handling the mastering. It’s a good fit for anyone more interested in the shape of a song than in a faithful stadium recreation, especially if spare arrangements and slightly off-centre cover versions appeal. The cassette edition suits the handmade origins, though the paid release also comes in lossless formats.
