Amy Britton
Indie-rock band boygenius has released their new album the record, and what originally started as a one-off promotional single for a shared tour has turned into a global phenomenon.
Artists Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus have joined forces to create some new tracks. Masters of lyricism and wit – together they have created tracks filled with tongue-in-cheek one-liners melded with sentimentality.
After the release of their six-track self-titled EP in 2018, fans were filled with anxiety over the possibility that it would be the end of the super-group. Bridgers, Baker and Dacus have continuously danced around the idea of getting back together. But their reunion eventually came to fruition when Bridgers shared a demo for ‘Emily I’m Sorry’ – the rest is history.
Musical style
Over four years later – since their EP release – the three indie icons suddenly dropped three new tracks on January 18th. In doing so, they teased the upcoming release of their first full-length record. Each track encapsulates each member’s musical style, whilst also allowing space for the three to come together to highlight their unity.
“Boygenius is asking to be taken seriously, as any male band would be.”
Boygenius hasn’t only been releasing singles – they have also appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, imitating the 1994 issue featuring Nirvana. Clad in Gucci suits and covered in badges, the women mock the male-dominated music industry. They poke fun at its tendency to worship every average male musician. Boygenius is asking to be taken just as seriously, as any male band would be.
The Rolling Stone shoot gives fans brilliant visuals of Baker and Bridgers standing on soapboxes so they can match Dacus’ intimidating height. The perfect irony between wanting to be taken seriously whilst being able to poke fun at themselves is glaringly obvious.
The record
The three artists frequently write songs brimming with personality and frank conversations about life, creating an airtight support system through each other’s quirks. This unity allows them to record for hours straight.
‘The record’ begins with the beautiful acapella track ‘Without You Without Them’ headed by Lucy Dacus’ powerhouse vocals complimented by harmonies from Baker and Bridgers. The song is a love letter to friendship, a theme that seems to recur throughout the album. For a band built on such strong foundations, it is unsurprising that they open their first record with these lyrics: “Give me everything you’ve got / I’ll take what I can get / I want to hear your story / And be a part of it”.
‘Revolution 0’ is clearly spearheaded by Bridgers. The slow folk guitar riffs and a heavy bassline that creeps in the background of the track are commonly featured in Bridgers’ own work. It creates the classic unsettling soundtrack to back the standout heart-breaking lines. The lyrics almost melt together to pack the same powerful punch – similar to Bridgers’ own solo music.
Both ‘Revolution 0’ and ‘Emily I’m Sorry’ seem to allude to broken relationships and having to let go of what you originally once believed was true love. They are archetypal heartbreak anthems.
“This creates an almost musical whiplash in the best way possible.”
You can always trust Julien Baker to bring more classic rock and roll energy to an album. Both ‘Satanist’ and ‘Anti-Curse’ provide listeners with heavier guitar riffs and faster drum beats. Fans will be aware of Baker’s frequently tumultuous past which she has often grappled with in her solo music. These two songs are no different including references to her religious upbringing and reckless behaviour. The overbearing instrumentals of ‘Satanist’ consume its listener only to climax into a calmer outro. This creates an almost musical whiplash in the best way possible.
An album filled with nihilism
‘We’re In Love’ can only be described simply as a pure love song, with lyrics like: “You could absolutely break my heart / That’s how I know we’re in love”. Dacus’ low register provides the perfect sweetness for the lyrics about an all-encompassing love.
Dacus sings of hopes to find her soulmate in every life: “In the next one, will you find me? / I’ll be the boy with the pink carnation / Pinned to my lapel who looks like hell and asks for help”. The track acts as a lighthouse for hope in an album filled with nihilism.
Meanwhile, ‘Letter To An Old Poet’ feels like the only way to end an album that is this emotionally draining. The stripped-back piano and strings instrumental have their own impact. They remind us boygenius do not need overly dramatic theatrics to leave a mark on their listeners.
The bridge provides fans with a call-back to the group’s single ‘Me & My Dog’ from the first EP, by infusing the same instrumentals with adapted lyrics. The outro includes cheers from boygenius’ performance of this track at Brooklyn Steel back in 2018, which makes it all the more personal to long-time listeners.
“They drag you into a whirlpool of emotions and talent.”
Listening to ‘the record’ feels like being in a liminal space. The folk guitar riffs and gut-wrenching lyrics wash over you. They drag you into a whirlpool of emotions and talent.
Beautifully coherent
Three huge personalities came together to create a beautifully coherent album that will be talked about for decades to come. A super-group like this can either go one of two ways. It will either completely explode due to the extreme emotions being dealt with or it will be an utter musical success – boygenius is definitely the latter.
Featured image courtesy of Victrola Record Players on Unsplash. Image licence found here. No changes have been made to this image.
