boygenius – the record

Review Score:

B

The Unprecedented Times –

March 31 / 2023

Boygenius is an indie dream come true. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus are all talented artists in their own right. I have thoroughly enjoyed work from each of these three artists in the past. Each of them bring their own unique flavor to the supergroup. Baker often excels in her instrumentation, bringing a rougher, louder sound to the project when needed. Dacus’ voice is always stunningly beautiful. And with Bridgers’ signature candid, poetic lyricism, this should make for an excellent collaboration. But does it?

Much of the instrumentation is raw and plain. Not bland, but plain and clear (if that distinction makes sense to anyone but me). The harmonies are crisp. But to my dismay, that nearly haunting quality from the past EP is rarely present. The trio takes a more optimistic approach this time around. The opening track is a brief but sweet acapella track that I wish returned in some capacity later, but doesn’t. Afterwards, we are treated to three of the album’s strongest tracks in a row (the first three singles from the album). The tracks on the record highlight the strengths of Baker, Bridgers and Dacus as individuals, but for the most part, not as a group.

In many ways, the record will please fans of the group’s past work, as well as their individual projects. This is a generally good thing, as the group’s past EP is a beautiful little folk record. But this collaboration does not exactly surprise or subvert. I found this to be equally satisfying and disappointing. I read in an interview that the band found relative freedom and relief in that the “boygenius” project did not have to be so strictly personal in the writing process. I can understand this to a degree. Constantly reviving personal traumas for your art and then performing them to screaming crowds would certainly be draining. However, in the case of Bridgers’ Punisher or Dacus’ Home Video, the personal and self reflective writing is something I often enjoyed the most. Never fear, the record does excel in the ways you have come to expect. Some of the more energetic songs are highly contagious, like “$20”. And though less personal at times than their solo work, that poetic writing remains. Each artist plays to their individual strengths. “Revolution 0” gives us a classic Phoebe verse:

“I don’t wanna die, that’s a lie
But I’m afraid to get sick
I don’t know what that is
You wanted a song
So it’s gonna be a short one
Wish I wasn’t so tired, but I’m tired”

“Leonard Cohen” gives us a classic Lucy verse:

“On the on-ramp, you said
‘If you love me, you will listen to this song’
And I could tell that you were serious
So I didn’t tell you you were driving the wrong way
On the interstate until the song was done”

And “Anti Curse”, a classic Baker verse:

“Gettin’ deep
I’m out of my depth at a public beach
I never listened, I had to see for myself
It’s comin’ in waves
Shoots through my mind like a pinball strayed
Friendly fire, point-blank”

the record feels like a safe, warm room. Familiar. Nothing unexpected. Sharing feelings, uplifting one another, harmonizing and listening intently. It has all the highs and lows of a cozy, nostalgic sleepover. The screaming, the frustration, the dread, the love and the comfort. There is a clear love and respect amongst the trio that plays into the tone and the chemistry here. But at the same time, I can’t help but feel like something is lost on the record. The elements that make each artist special in their own right sometimes become muddled and lost. That familiarity is pleasant, but I feel somewhat like I wanted more. This lacks a true consistency. Short of a few standout tracks, I can’t help but feel like I won’t be revisiting this record as much as I would have liked. But far be it from me to judge this based on what it doesn’t do rather than what it does do.

All things considered, the record will please fans. It’s still well worth listening to. While it does make me want to revisit their solo work more than it makes me want to listen to this again, you can be damn sure I’ll be scrambling to see them perform live this summer.

Review Score: B

Gubb wrote this review. You can’t get mad at Gubb.