Love between imperfect people
The band Boygenius, a group consisting of indie rock artists Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers, released their debut studio album The Record on March 31, 2023. The group comes together with an album combining each individual artist’s skills to create a gut-punching indie sound.
The album’s opening track, “Without You Without Them,” features no instrumentals and is instead a passionate vocal track, lyrically depicting love and subtextually declaring the band members’ unity and tight-knit friendship, functioning as a relatively light intro to the album.
Off the heels of that light intro comes “$20,” which immediately kicks off with percussion and heavy guitar strumming. It’s a clear distinction from the quieter opening song and the artists’ earlier music with its loud, American Northwest sound, with lyrics referencing Reno, Nevada, motorcycles and shotguns.
“Emily I’m Sorry” is a slower, painful melody about being lost in life. The slow beats, ethereal instrumentals and soft, echoing lyrics fill the listener with melancholy as the song sings about the uncertainty of the future.
Next comes “True Blue,” a track which ponders the real meaning of love. Dacus’ vocals are given the spotlight, singing mellow lyrics about imperfect people loving each other all the same, backed up by peaceful, hopeful guitar strumming.
Folk-rock track “Cool About It” comes next, steeped in narrative about encounters with ex-partners, lamenting the palpable bitterness in the air, while light plucks at a banjo provide a simple backdrop for the sad lyrics.
“Not Strong Enough” includes heavy collaboration between Baker, Dacus and Bridgers, featuring each of their voices often in unison. Their vocals sing lyrics which cut deep, bemoaning not being good or strong enough for a loved one. The instrumentals are upbeat and energetic, shifting from a rock sound at the beginning, ending in an amped-up sound.
“Revolution” is a quiet, sad song led by Bridgers. The gentle, quiet acoustics backdrop Bridgers’ soft vocals, which wonder about the reality of love. “Leonard Cohen” is a sweet song about accepting other people’ imperfections and offers introspection on the band’s acceptance of each others’ strengths and weaknesses. As the lyrics put it, “there’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”
The noticeably heavier “Satanist” follows, with instrumentals featuring deep guitar strumming, which begin fast-paced and confident and as the song goes on, slow down and shift to a drifting, ponderous note before coming to a complete stop, while the lyrics wonder just how much anti-establishmentism they can get away with.
“We’re In Love” is a slow, quiet, vulnerable song about commitment. The lyrics fantasize about potential futures with someone close, but still worry about the possibilities of being let down or left behind– again, offering a glimpse into the band’s relationship: vulnerable, but committed to each other.
Pushing the bounds of the band’s sound comes “Anti-Curse,” a song which reminisces about past relationships and the course of a life. Just past the bridge the percussion-focused song shifts to the band passionately shredding the strings of their guitars.
The final song on the album, “Letter To An Old Poet,” sings of a desire for happiness. Despite the song’s peaceful, mellow tune, Bridgers sings lyrics full of conflict, about a toxic relationship and an abusive partner who belittles the other. It also features a callback to an earlier Boygenius song, a subtle wave to an earlier time in their career.
The Record, despite many of its songs’ fears to the contrary, showcases how perfectly the members of Boygenius work alongside each other. They weave attractive narratives, masterful instrumentals and passionate performances into a tight-knit collection of love songs for imperfect people, as strong as their potential together.
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