The three members of boygenius, Julien Baker (left), Lucy Dacus (middle), and Phoebe Bridgers (right). Their angelic voices create the most beautiful songs for their new album “The Record.”
In 2018 Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker came together and formed the band currently known as boygenius. They made their debut by releasing an EP called “Boygenius” which consisted of six songs. Five years later, the band released their debut album “The Record” on March 31, 2023, and it was well worth the wait.
The album begins with a beautiful acapella ballad called “Without You Without Them.” With harmonies between all three vocalists, this song is the perfect way to open the album. Their voices blend together perfectly to create an emotional and fulfilling piece of music.
The soft intro to the album is quickly interrupted with the angst of “$20.” This song is nothing but teen spirit, and is all about being spontaneous and living life with no regrets. “$20” begins with a fun rock energy and ends with Bridgers’ famous scream that was first heard in her solo album, “Punisher.” This song makes for a very fun and light-hearted melody.
Each member has a song that they sing solo, a song that they can call their own. “Emily I’m Sorry” is the first of these songs that we hear. In this emotional track, Bridgers sings about not knowing who she truly is. The apology format of the song makes it feel full of even more emotional sentiment. Bridgers sings this song beautifully, and background harmonies from Dacus and Baker definitely help add to the beauty. “Emily I’m Sorry” is as stunning as it is devastating.
“True Blue,” sung by Dacus, follows the story of a relationship. The best part of this song is the bridge. Up until the bridge, the relationship mentioned seems to be perfect, but the bridge opens up some sort of secret about a fight, only to go back to the idea that it feels good to be seen and loved, whether it’s tough or not. The chill energy matched with stunning lyrics creates a great track.
There is no song on the album quite like “Not Strong Enough.” This song is about the queer experience of non male identifying people. Lyrics like, “I don’t know why I am/ The way I am/ Not strong enough to be your man,” shows the struggles of feeling like you aren’t fulfilling your partner due to the pressure expectations of heteronormativity. This song focuses on how someone might not embody the idealized “masc” image of what people expect from queer women, which is expressed in the lyric, “Just lowering your expectations.” The song ends with a repetition of the lyric “Always an angel, never a god,” which is a powerful statement about gender roles within a relationship. The idea of always being an angel only adds to the idea that they can’t fulfill the role society has created for a man in a relationship. “Not Strong Enough” is beautiful, sad, and powerful all in one, and is definitely one of my favorites on “The Record.”
My favorite song on the whole album has to be “Cool About It.” The song opens seamlessly with Baker’s voice and beautiful guitar picking. “Cool About It” is about wanting to be there for someone but not knowing how. Each member has their own verse that I feel they personally connect with, making the song all the more emotional. Bridgers’ verse stands out to me the most; being the last verse in the song, and also the saddest, she truly embodies the meaning of the song. “Cool About It” is everything I looked for in a song, a perfect balance of beautiful instruments and heartfelt lyrics.
At first “Leonard Cohen” was okay, but not my favorite. However, as I’ve continued to listen, it truly is beautiful. The song is about letting someone in all the way, and everything that comes with it. The powerful lyrics, “I think I might like you less now that you know me so well,” really highlights the anxiety that can come with telling someone all your secrets. While this song is short, the lyrics are easy to understand, and are genius. The song ends with the very sweet and gracious line, “I never thought you’d happen to me,” creating a well-written and charming track.
“Anti-Curse,” sung by Baker, is about her near-drowning experience at Malibu Beach. Because of this, the song references the water in a couple different ways. Lyrics like, “Gettin’ deep,” “It’s comin’ in waves,” “Salt in my lungs,” all add to the story Baker has to tell. Then, Baker begins to reflect on her life so far and sings she is, “Makin’ peace with my inevitable death.” This emotional rollercoaster ends with her rescue referred to as “Soundin’ out the foreign characters.” She goes on to describe the experience as an anti-curse, or perhaps a blessing.
The album ends with the song “Letter To An Old Poet.” This song is stunning, tragic, and everything in between. The three members all come together and create harmonies that are soothing and relaxing. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Bridgers said “‘Letter To An Old Poet’ is about when someone has so much power over you, they stop being a person,” and this is exactly what the group achieved. This heartbreaking piece is truly a reflection of vulnerability and realizing someone is not who you thought they were.
“The Record” by boygenius is truly a masterpiece in all forms. Dacus, Baker, and Bridgers complement each other in the best ways and have found the greatest possible way to showcase it. Los Angeles Times says “boygenius is happiest making sad music together,” and “The Record” is proof of that.
