They’re back.
Since the release of their self-titled 2018 EP, the individual members of boygenius have been on a tear. Lucy Dacus put out the stunning record Home Video (2021), Julien Baker completely reinvented her sound and artistic vision statement with Little Oblivions (2021) and Phoebe Bridgers catapulted toward the mainstream, earning features with Taylor Swift, The 1975, Paul McCartney and SZA, plus the 2019 duo record Better Oblivion Community Center with Conor Oberst, and the widely-acclaimed Punisher (2020).
For those of us who adore the solo work of these three gifted musicians, these successes have been delightful—but there was always one last thing on the table, the whisper of an idea that they would combine their powers to stretch their supergroup to something larger than a six-song EP. And now the day is here. The group released three new songs this week, with the promise of a full-length LP entitled The Record on March 31st.
The new tracks are just what we’d hope for. Each musician’s time stretching out has led boygenius to evolve as its individual members have. “True Blue,” on which Dacus sings lead vocals, has the similar lilting groove as “VBS” from Home Video, while preserving her shoot-to-kill lyricism, including the all-time gem “When you don’t know who you are / you fuck around and find out.”
Bridgers’ contribution to the group of singles, “Emily I’m Sorry,” brings in the woozy, subterranean sound from Punisher, with Baker and Dacus giving much more than backing vocals. Just like on “Me & My Dog,” from the boygenius EP, the three members make each part of their harmony their own, lending new meaning to each line as you choose to focus on a different singer—Dacus’ resigned distance, Baker’s disheartened acquiescence, and Bridgers’ straining attempt to hold it together.
The song that represents the biggest tonal shift is also the most thrilling: “$20,” spearheaded by Baker. It’s an all-in affair, with a propulsive bassline (yes, a boygenius song with momentum, of all things), a lot of dynamic interchange, a gnarly spacey bridge, and a coda with three spectacularly overlapping vocal lines that culminates in a signature Bridgers scream.
If “$20” is any indication, the March 31st release is only going to add to the band’s growing legend.
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