Boygenius "The Record" (2023)

The Record [debut]

release date: Mar. 31, 2023

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]

producer: Boygenius, Catherine Marks

label: Interscope - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Without You Without Them" - 2. "$20" - 3. "Emily I'm Sorry" - 6. "Not Strong Enough" (live on SNL) - 9. "Satanist" - 11. "Anti-Curse"

Studio album debut by 'super-group' boygenius consisting of the three American singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, who debuted together under the alias back in 2018 when releasing the 6-track ep Boygenius on Matador. All songs are credited the trio in collaboration, and the album sky-rocketed up the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, and most critics have applauded the album.

Musically, it's labelled as indie-folk, or indie rock, although, Interscope isn't an all independent label and all three singer-songwriters have made several acclaimed albums on their own. Stylewise, they share a lot together and the music here doesn't represent major stylistic variations. In many ways this very collaboration reminds us about Crosby, Stills & Nash when they decided to unite forces back in '69 and produce some highly original music together, although individually, they actually enjoyed stable solo careers. Boygenius is a collective force with individual strengths and together they support one another in a most natural way.

The album is included on numerous lists of the year's best albums, and it is a mighty fine collection of songs, although, as in the case with CS&N, I'm not extremely overwhelmed and the biggest fan. That said, Boygenius does appear as a strong unit with great potential.

And therefore, The Record is recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Mojo 4 / 5, Pitchfork 8,2 / 10, NME, Rolling Stone 5 / 5, 👍Clash 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Phoebe Bridgers "Punisher" (2020)

Punisher

release date: Jun. 18, 2020

format: digital (11 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,80]

producer: Tony Berg, Ethan Gruska, Phoebe Bridgers

label: Dead Oceans - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Garden Song" - 3. "Kyoto" - 4. "Punisher" - 5. "Halloween" - 6. "Chinese Satellite" - 9. "ICU" - 10. "Graceland Too" - 11. "I Know the End"

2nd studio album by Phoebe Bridgers following her acclaimed debut Stranger in the Alps (Sep. 2017).

Where the melancholy glue of acoustic folk on the debut probably reminded many about the long list of folk artists, Punisher adds layers to that artistry. Some songs are like extended threads to the 2017 album, but since then she has worked with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker on their side-project Boygenius, and she has collborated with Conor Oberst on Better Oblivion Community Center, and those projects now have coloured this new collection of songs in a most positive way - making it a coherent whole but also by widenening the musical universe of Phoebe Bridgers.

Bridgers still narrates with the colour blue as main ingredient but her music invites other colours in, which makes it more alive and powerful.

Highly recommended.

[ Rolling Stone, 👍The Guardian, Slant 4 / 5, Pitchfork 8,7 / 10, allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, NME, 5 / 5 stars ]

Phoebe Bridgers "Stranger in the Alps" (2017)

Stranger in the Alps [debut]

release date: Sep. 17, 2017

format: digital (13 × File, FLAC) (Deluxe Edition)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: Tony Berg, Ethan Gruska

label: Dead Oceans - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Smoke Signals" - 2. "Motion Sickness" (4 / 5) - 3. "Funeral" (live at WFUV) - 5. "Scott Street" - 6. "Killer" - 7. "Georgia" - 9. "Would You Rather" - 10. "You Missed My Heart" - *13. "Motion Sickness (Demo)"

*Bonus track on Deluxe Edition

Studio album debut by American singer / songwriter Phoebe Lucille Bridgers, who previously played in a number of bands including Einstein's Dirty Secret and Sloppy Jane before Ryan Adams helped in putting out her debut ep Killer (Mar. 2014) on his label Pax Americana - two of the three songs from her ep debut (tracks #6 & #7) are included on this album in new recordings. The album was preceded by the release of three singles: in Jan. 2017 "Smoke Signals" came out, in July it was followed by her so far biggest (and only) hit "Motion Sickness", and five days before the album release the single "Funeral" was issued. All tracks except track #10 (by Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavalle) and track #12 (bonus track by Tom Petty) are credited Bridgers, and of these six are co-composed by drummer Marshall Vore. Conor Oberst appears on vocals, and together with Bridgers the two would go on and found the project Better Oblivion Community Center in 2018.

Style-wise Bridgers resides deeply in 'melancholy valley' with strong bonds to Cat Power, Sharon Van Etten and classic folk artists, although, Bridgers clearly contain enough originality to keep your ears and eyes out for whatever she's involved in.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, 👍Pitchfork 3,5 / 5, Mojo, NME, Q Magazine 4 / 5, Exclaim! 4,5 / 5, Uncut 3 / 5 stars ]