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Julien Baker , Phoebe Bridgers , and Lucy Dacus formed their indie alternativesupergroup , boygenius , in 2018 . They free their debut self - title EP in October of that year before Colorado - headlining a tour of duty , all the while maintaining that their solo projects were still their several priorities . After a five - year abatement from boygenius which see the going of one full - length album from each of them , the trinity follow back together in 2023 to relinquish theirhighly foretell LP , The Record .
WhenThe Recordwas released , it made monumental Wave throughout the integral alternate andpop musicscenes . Myself , along with many other fan of the album , were not even familiar with boygenius as a mathematical group , and were only conversant with the solo careers of one of the three members , if that . Their 12 - track resurgence , however , rapidly shoot Dacus , Baker , and Bridgers to the top of the alt - rock charts , and into the Spotify Wrapped of many brand - new fans . Here are all 12 tracks on that beloved record album , grade .
12Without You Without Them
Track 1
The introductory track , " Without You Without Them , " supply some nice harmonies to kick off the album . One of only four track on which Dacus , Bridgers , and Baker all babble principal vocals , the 1:21 a cappella racetrack is a neat way to start offThe Record . All three women show off just how great their song vocalize together , cue rooter ( and showing fresh single ) why boygenius is the sterling substitute girl group in today ’s music landscape .
That say , this song sounds more like a demonstration or an tryout Song dynasty than anything else . Given the little length , and the lyrics that are reminiscent of acknowledgments or a give thanks you to their loved ones , this song sounds a routine like the dedication of the album . It ’s a nice testimonial , no doubt , but it ’s a turn difficult to praise this track above any of the other running onThe Record .
11We’re In Love
Track 10
" We ’re In Love " is the longest track on the album , which is likely part of the reason I ’d categorise it as the most boring track on the album . The lyrics resemble poetry , which is typically a positive aspect of any Sung with Lucy Dacus ' soft vocals at the helm , but in this fount it feels a number routine . She hold fast to a slim ambit in the vocal without much sport , giving the song a borderline droning fathom .
If you rewrite your life history , may I still play a part ?
In the next one , will you find me ?
I ’ll be the boy with the pinkish carnation pinned to my lapel
Who look like hell and asks for help
And if you do , I ’ll know it ’s you
The lyrics are easily the most interesting aspect of this Sung , as they could honestly be examine as a standalone poem . The song is slow and melodic , andwere the production and variation in the music a bit stronger , this song could have had the potential to be among their strongest course . It is still a beautiful song , and Lucy Dacus fathom as not bad as ever , but at almost five arcminute long , this song unfortunately just lags in comparison to the respite of the record album .
10Letter To An Old Poet
Track 12
" letter of the alphabet to an Old Poet " is another simply beautiful and melodic track that form of loses itself in the tonal pattern . I would n’t say it has that same monotone quality that " We ’re In Love " does , butit finger a little more crude than the rest of this album . The lyrics go almost like an unedited stream - of - consciousness piece of writing exercise , and while there is sure enough something to be suppose for current - of - consciousness writing exercise , they typically need a little bit more redaction before they ’re ready to be classified as a ruined merchandise .
The lyrics sound almost like an unedited stream - of - consciousness writing example .
The strong line of the song comes just under halfway through , when Phoebe Bridgers sings , " But you ’re not special , you ’re evil / You do n’t get to tell me to calm down , " with subtle musical harmony from Dacus and Baker . Regardless of the words she is actually sing , Bridgers ' vocals on this racetrack have a melancholy stunner . The song is soothing to listen to , and it is as good a vocal as any to fill up out the record album .
9Anti-Curse
Track 11
This song is one that just kind of fade into the screen background due to the sheer excellency present throughout the ease of the album . It has some great lyricism , and a handful of classic Julien Baker moments on vocal music , butoverall it does n’t really meet into the grand system of the album very well . Perhaps if it were earlier on in the tracklist , it would have stood out more , but as the second to last strain on the album , " Anti - Curse " can be kind of easy forgotten .
Two years after her huge success in with boygenius , Lucy Dacus is releasing her fourth record album constantly Is A look . Here ’s everything we get laid so far .
I ’m a sucker for some good old - fashioned high schooltime nostalgia , and I think this strain had some seriously pine away potency as a great nostalgic anthem . With lyrics like , " Was anyone ever so young ? / break away curfew with illegal pyrotechnic / Unpacking God in the suburbs,“if this song were given more of a spotlight , it could have been a solid contenderfor the outstanding song onThe Record . regrettably , it just did n’t stomach out comparative to the residue of the album .
8Revolution 0
Track 7
" Revolution 0 " is another song that kind of slice into the background of the record album . That said , the lyrics do have a little more heart and soul than vocal like " Anti - jinx " or " We ’re In Love , " and Bridgers ' vocals just elevate the birdcall as a whole . The Christian Bible are chilling , and Bridgers sings with a sort of haunt analog to the guitar , singing about mental unwellness and themes of depression .
This song is profoundly personal , and that is a clear tactual sensation one acquire upon first listening to the rails . It is brooding , but in a major key , which feels almost incorrect give the aura of the words and the dull pace of the melody . Even if " Revolution 0 " has a hard time stick out out on an album full of smasher , it is still a testament to just how versatile boygenius ' sound can be . A song with language as cryptical and dark as these with a beautiful guitar backing that has an almost whimsically well-chosen sound that only the boygenius fille could pluck that off .
7$20
Track 2
Personally , Ilove”$20 " if for no other understanding than Julien Baker ’s throaty screeching at the end of the Song dynasty . From an nonsubjective viewpoint , the song does sort of get a bite lost with the repetition of the refrain . The first half of the call is done flawlessly ; the guitar riff in the introduction followed by Baker ’s raspy song localise us up for what could have been the pinnacle of boygenius ' strong alt - rock strait .
Baker ’s raspy vocal set us up for what could have been the pinnacle of boygenius ' grueling alt - John Rock phone .
By the second half of the song , once we ’re attain with , " gun , out of time , out of money / You ’re doing what you could / Just making it run , " it ’s almost as if the song gets stick in a loop . The loop ends with Baker howler - vocalizing , " Twenty dollar , " and then there is another 30 second or so of instrumentals and miscellaneous vocals . The first half of the song for sure carries enough weight to pardon the grommet in the 2nd half , but that loopdoesdetract from the call ’s overall greatness .
6Emily I’m Sorry
Track 3
" Emily I ’m no-count " was one of the three I expel as the initial announcement of the album , and the greatest strength of this runway come from the vocal concordance present in the chorus line . While Phoebe Bridgers is credited with the lead vocal music on this song , the elbow room they all voice together from the words , " Emily , I ’m dingy I just / Make it up as I go along , " is enough to make your breath stall .
These telling women are all lead singers who become their rock circle into household names , take aspiration from various styles and genres .
The transition from " $ 20 " to " Emily I ’m grim " isthe everlasting way to acquaint bothThe Recordand boygenius ' identity as a banding . They do n’t drop a beat when going from the hardcore alt - careen vibes of " $ 20 " to the soft acoustical guitar that kicks off " Emily I ’m good-for-nothing . " The first slower lay on the album ( barring " Without You Without Them " ) , " Emily I ’m Sorry " is the kind of multi - faceted slow jam that exemplifies why they decided to come together as a banding in the first place .
5Leonard Cohen
Track 8
Coming in at only 1:42 , " Leonard Cohen " is the perfect direct contrast to " Without You Without Them , " showing that boygenius is more than capable of a smashingly - hit short Sung . I retrieve listening to this album for the first few time and " Leonard Cohen " being among my darling ; I was genuinely surprised to see it only had a run - time of under two second . The song consist of a verse , follow by a sort of pre - chorus , another verse , and an outro . Such a rule would typically make a birdcall palpate incomplete , but not this one .
Every line in this song has some depthand weight unit to it . The lyrics kind of abruptly transition from the aspect in the railroad car from the first few section of the song to a tribute to the Sung ’s namesake , Leonard Cohen , with his quote , " There ’s a crack in everything , that ’s how the lighter get in . " The song ends on a beautiful high musical note , Dacus singing , " But I agree / I never thought you ’d chance to me . "
4Cool About It
Track 5
" chill About It " is the first full - length birdcall on this album that boast all three members as the lead vocalists . It is also one of just two individual songs on the album that were nominated for a Grammy , namely Best Alternative Music Performance . It is the perfect balance between all three of their vocal strengths , exact turn as lead and harmony , with each one of them heading a verse .
The lyrics to " Cool About It " are also a great sample of the melodic theme of romance and genial illness , which are both very big throughoutThe Record- particularly in Bridgers ' verse , when she sings :
Once , I took your medication to know what it ’s like
And now I have to act like I ca n’t read your mind
I ask you how you ’re doing and I let you lie
The give-and-take are honorable and emotion - ridden , like so much of boygenius ' work . It feel ill-timed to characterise this track as a lay , but given the slow tempo and the underlie thematic Romance language , that would n’t be inaccurate . This would be another difficult undertaking by many alternative rock bands of today , but boygenius makes it wait easy .
3Satanist
Track 9
The other side of the boygenius alt - tilt slow ballad coin , " Satanist " is the best hymn to total out of this album . It is purely that : an anthem . In the lyrics , and in the means the strain starts out with a hard-core electric guitar riff , it ’s furious , anti - establishment , and come across deep with so many of boygenius ' fans . apply the timing of the record album ’s acquittance and the political mood of the nation at large , it ’s no wonder this Sung gather the love it did from boygenius fan .
It ’s tempestuous , anti - establishment , and resonates deeply with so many of boygenius ' fans .
The song originate with the iconic line , " Will you be a diabolist with me ? " and the watch over verses require the same motion , replacing diabolist with ' syndicalist ' and ' nihilist . ' Another song with all three woman let the cat out of the bag steer vocals , " diabolist " is a caterpillar track that is truly representative of the ring ’s sound . When they performed on SNL , " Satanist " was the second track they chose to play , and for good and clear rationality .
