Boygenius may very well be the most exciting supergroup in recent times. Comprised of indie-rock aces Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, fans around the globe collectively reeled when their collaborative EP was announced.
While short, the record’s length belies its range of depth, acuity and ingenuity. The unique stylistic approach of each singer-songwriter markedly outlines the group’s edges, yet the record’s direction as a whole is focused and centralized. Introspection, heartbreak and world-weariness form the foundation for the group’s songs, an overarching similarity they each share in their solo work.
Each track carefully lends credence to each member’s characteristic traits – from Dacus’ fuzz-drenched guitarwork on “Salt In The Wound,” to Baker’s thunderous, rolling crescendos in “Stay Down,” to Bridgers’ penchant for teenage nostalgia in “Me & My Dog.” The beauty of boygenius lies in its capacity to showcase and define each individual artist while successfully presenting each exquisite song as a group effort.
The trio’s voices similarly dart in and out of the tracks, interchanging leading and supporting roles so freely and graciously that no single voice dominates the spotlight. Where one singer leads a verse or chorus, the others are never far behind, effortlessly complementing each other in a cascade of spine-tingling harmonies and beautiful, varied instrumentation.
A surprisingly dynamic range of sub-genres rest in these six tracks – a delicate microcosm of sounds set in the realm of indie-rock – leading the EP to feel astoundingly full at its conclusion. With such a brief but hard-hitting debut, one can only dream of what a full-length record from boygenius would sound like.
Score: 👧👧👧👧👧/5
